November 22, 2025. The Transport Project (TTP) announced that over $460+ million has been awarded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to compressed natural gas (CNG) bus transit projects across the country.
The funding is part of a larger announcement made last week by the Federal Transit Administration’s Low- and No-Emission Grant Award and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities competitive programs for Fiscal Year 2025. At least 23 percent of the total $2 billion in funding went to listed natural gas projects in 19 states.
Of notable CNG bus awards, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) in Houston, TX will receive $100.73 million, Nassau County Inter County Express on Long Island, NY will receive $42 million, Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) in Sacramento, CA will receive $39.67 million, Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) in Tampa, FL will receive $32.04 million, Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City, UT will receive $20.48 million, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) in Columbus, OH will receive $19.91 million, Regional Public Transportation Authority (Valley Metro) in Phoenix, AZ will receive $18.63 million, North County Transit District (NCTD) in San Diego, CA will receive $16.77 million, the City of Fresno, CA will receive $16.89 million, and Culver City Municipal Bus Lines in Culver City, CA will receive $14.45 million.
The funding is for new CNG buses, fueling infrastructure, and associated maintenance facility improvements. The Top 5 states receiving identified natural gas bus awards include: Texas ($121.57 million), California ($106.4 million), New York ($63.25 million), Florida ($40.84 million) and Ohio ($29.65 million).
Funding natural gas transit maximizes the opportunity to deploy more transit buses thereby increasing ridership opportunities and accelerating the retirement of older more polluting buses. The Low-No Program in recent years has proved to be an important factor in assisting transit agencies in upgrading their bus fleets to deploy cleaner, less polluting buses.
Prior to 2021, FTA did not fully consider low-emission natural gas transit bus applications in the competitive Low-No Grant Program. Through its advocacy work, The Transport Project secured language in two fiscal year conference agreements that “directs the FTA to implement 49 U.S.C. 5339(c) in a manner that encourages a variety of different fuel types and consider procurements that reduce an agency’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.”
As a result, FTA began awarding funding to municipalities and transit agencies interested in growing their natural gas transit programs and replacing older CNG buses that have reached the end of their useful life.
According to latest data collected by the American Public Transportation Association, the percentage of transit buses powered by natural gas was 28 percent in 2024. TTP’s own analysis indicates that today more than 100 transit agencies in the U.S. operate natural gas transit bus fleets.