WASHINGTON — A $104 million grant was awarded to Metro Wednesday in order to help the agency convert the Cinder Bed Road Bus Garage to exclusively serve battery-electric buses.
The Low or No Emission Vehicle grant will be used to meet Metro's timeline to transition nine bus garages and nearly 1,600 buses to zero-emission by 2042.
Metro has partnered with Fairfax County to convert the Cinder Bed Road facility. A portion of the garage will be used by the county to house and charge their all-electric Bus Rapid Transit service running from Fort Belvoir to Huntington Metrorail Station by 2030.
Additionally, the grant will be used to purchase battery-electric Metrobuses for the region and pay for workforce development and training.
“FTA is proud to support WMATA’s renovation of the Cinder Bed Bus Garage as it moves toward achieving its ambitious goal to replace its entire fleet with electric buses that run on greener and cleaner fuel sources,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “Riders and residents in the Capital region can be proud that WMATA is leading the charge.”
Metro Board Chair Paul C. Smedberg said the federal award is a significant step toward reaching the board's goal of transitioning to an entirely zero-emissions bus fleet as quickly as possible.
“I’m excited to see electric buses leaving this garage to provide our customers with safe, clean, and efficient transit, and look forward to partnering with Fairfax County on their all-electric Bus Rapid Transit service out of this facility," he said.
Metro received the first two of 12 battery-electric buses this summer as part of the first phase of a zero-emission bus deployment.
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