(The Center Square) — The feds announced more than $47.6 million in funding for three bus transportation projects in South Carolina.
The money is part of $1.7 billion in funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In an announcement, Federal Transit Administration Administrator Nuria Fernandez said the “grants will help deliver a cleaner and more modern mode of transportation” and are “designed to reach everyone, [including those] in places that haven’t received enough resources in the past.”
The allocation includes more than $25.9 million for the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority to build a regional transit hub to support its transition to a fully electric fleet by 2040. The funding will also help the agency buy battery-electric buses and charging equipment.
It also includes more than $15.4 million for the South Carolina Department of Transportation on behalf of 25 rural transit providers. The agency plans to replace vehicles for the providers, which officials said should improve transit service and reliability for rural South Carolinians.
The feds also gave more than $6.3 million to the Greenville Transit Authority for its Greenlink service to buy low-emission compressed natural gas buses to replace diesel buses, install a CNG fueling station and provide training to its mechanics. Officials said the project should help reduce emissions and improve transit service.
