Aug. 25, 2020 (Courtesy the Jacksonville Business Journal)
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration has awarded the Jacksonville Transportation Authority with an $11.9 million bus and bus facilities grant.
The discretionary grant will allow JTA to take eight diesel buses and replace them with compressed natural gas buses. It will help to assist JTA’s bus replacement schedule and support their sustainability efforts by eliminating diesel buses and lowering CO2 emissions.
“Our congressional delegation fought hard on behalf of the JTA in seeking this grant funding,” said JTA CEO Nat Ford. “Thank you to Congressman John Rutherford, Congressman Al Lawson, FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for your continued investment in Jacksonville and the JTA.”
The CNG buses are one part of a larger project to upgrade various areas of JTA’s Myrtle Avenue Operations campus. Those repair needs include the replacement of mobile column lifts for bus repairs, replacement and upgrade of 21 bay doors from manual to electric, the rehabilitation of bus wash facilities, replacement of exhaust fans, generators, HVAC and other maintenance needs.
These projects are expected to improve service reliability, enhance access and mobility for customers.