Public transit gets $3.7B to woo riders, adopt green fleets

By HOPE YEN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Public transit systems straining to win back riders after being crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a $3.7 billion boost to help stay afloat and invest in electric buses. It’s part of several initiatives announced Monday by the Biden administration to promote green-friendly transit as workers begin returning to offices. The Transportation Department says it’s awarding $2.2 billion in coronavirus relief funding to 35 transit agencies in 18 states. The money would be used to prop up day-to-day operations hurt by lost revenue from reduced ridership. Another $1.5 billion in grants will be made available under President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law to purchase low-emission buses and build bus facilities.