The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) applied for Federal Transit Administration funding on behalf of the Clinton MTA (Municipal Transit Administration), River Bend Transit, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, Southwest Iowa Transit Agency, and Coralville Transit for the FY23 Low-No and Buses and Bus Facilities Discretionary Programs. Subsequently, the IDOT was awarded grant funds in the amount of $17,853,710.
The IDOT will apply the grant funding across the five rural transit agencies to buy battery-electric buses (along with charging equipment) to replace older, diesel buses. The project will also support the construction of transit facilities and workforce development activities. The project will reduce operating costs and emissions while improving transit service in communities across Iowa.
As part of the required workforce development portion of the program, IDOT has started conversations with the two-year colleges throughout the state. IDOT will use a portion of the workforce development funding to create a skill-based curriculum around advanced vehicle technologies, engineering, maintenance, and repair that can be adopted and implemented by any community college in the state.
The City of Clinton MTA will be receiving three electric buses (large, medium and small version) as part of this grant.
The City is honored to be part of this grant and looks forward to hosting three new electric buses (and the corresponding charging stations). These new buses will assist the MTA in continuing to provide safe, clean and efficient service to the citizens of the City of Clinton while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
