August 12, 2022. Richmond-area transit riders will soon be boarding 19 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) will purchase with $10 million in federal funding.
The funding will come from the U.S. Department of Transportation after the passage of legislation that includes an additional $952,000 for GRTC Transit System to build a vehicle storage facility by its headquarters on East Belt Boulevard and $565,000 for the city of Suffolk to purchase new electric buses and charging stations.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Virginia Democrats, announced the federal award this week, saying that the money is part of a federal program intended to provide funding for local and state governments to buy zero- or low-emission vehicles and related facilities.
“Electric and natural gas vehicles offer a clean and affordable alternative to traditional fuel vehicles,” the senators said in a joint news release. “We are glad to see Virginia receive this funding to support the adoption of more energy efficient vehicles and the needed infrastructure to continue our transition to a transportation system with a significantly lower impact on the environment.”
GRTC first started moving toward acquiring CNG buses about 10 years ago. Richmond and GRTC officials at the time said the transition would help reduce fuel costs, improve air quality and make buses quieter.