$77 million grant to help Metro buy electric buses

Metro will receive more than $77.5 million from a federal grant for the purchase of dozens of battery electric buses and the installation of new chargers, Rep. Adam Schiff announced Tuesday.

Schiff, D-Burbank, had written a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation urging funding approval for Metro’s Zero-Emission Bus and Charging Infrastructure Project. The agency aims to acquire battery-electric buses, charging equipment and supporting infrastructure to operate reliable zero-emission services spanning multiple cities within LA County.

New chargers are expected to be installed at Metro’s West Hollywood bus yard.

Metro’s project is intended to upgrade buses operating within its Bus Division 7 area, covering West Hollywood and other areas. The buses will also be used to bolster clean transportation ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Metro plans to operate zero-emission buses in the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin, one of the highest polluted air quality regions in the nation,” Schiff wrote in his letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on July 1. “Thus, investments in the project correspond with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Metro’s Equity Focus Communities to benefit underprivileged communities by reducing pollution, enhancing transit service and improving access to jobs and other opportunities.”

Metro had applied for the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emissions Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. With some assistance from Schiff, the funding was secured for Los Angeles County.

“Electric buses mean cleaner air, less traffic, and more reliable service for Los Angeles residents,” Schiff said in a statement. “With this investment, Los Angeles is set to lead the way in creating a modern, green, and accessible transit system that will benefit our community for years to come.”

The buses will run on multiple lines and enhance access and mobility with direct access to all Metro rail lines, according to Schiff’s office. Metro’s project emphasizes environmental and air quality improvements while providing high-quality transit service to Los Angeles’ residents and visitors.

“Today, 117 communities, including Los Angeles, are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Buttigieg said in a statement. “The Biden 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.”