Press Releases
Congresswoman Escobar Announces $30 Million Grant for City of El Paso Mass Transit Department
Washington, D.C.,
July 9, 2024
Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) announced a $30 million Low and No Emission grant for the City of El Paso Mass Transit Department (Sun Metro). This grant will allow Sun Metro to purchase new compressed natural gas buses to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life and construct new bus canopies. “Emissions from older diesel busses contribute to the transportation sector’s disproportionate role in climate change and increase the risk of respiratory illnesses among passengers,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government is investing $30 million in our community, a critical addition to the millions already allocated to El Paso since it passed in 2021. I was proud to champion legislation that touches the lives of so many El Pasoans to provide cleaner, more reliable, and more economically sound public transportation.” The Low and No Emission Grant Program provides funding for communities to purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including the acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities. Hundreds of applications are sent in from around the country for the DOT to review in a competitive process. “Today, 117 communities, including El Paso, are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies across 47 states replace old buses running on dirty, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.” The $1.1 billion in available funding is just one of many programs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Congresswoman Escobar voted for on November 5, 2021, and President Joe Biden signed into law on November 15, 2021. This funding is in addition to the $750,000 secured by Congresswoman Escobar for Sun Metro in FY24.
|