FTA has awarded $55 million in Low or No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle grants, authorized under the FAST Act, to 51 advanced fuel technology projects in 39 states for the development of transit buses and infrastructure that use advanced fuel technologies.

FTA gave the largest individual grants, $1.75 million each, to the Macon-Bibb County (GA) Transit Authority; Montgomery County (MD) Transit; Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul; Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, Canton, OH; Citibus, Lubbock, TX; and VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX, for the purchase of electric or hydrogen fuel cell buses and infrastructure.

“The projects selected through the highly-competitive Low-No program all demonstrate strong value to American communities,” said FTA Acting Administrator Jane Williams. “As transit providers nationwide face a backlog of maintenance needs, it is imperative to replace aging buses near the end of their useful life with newer, cleaner models that are also more efficient to operate and maintain.”

The full list is here.

APTA Meets with FTA Acting Administrator

APTA’s leadership team and Acting President & CEO Richard White met recently with FTA Acting Administrator Jane Williams and her senior staff. The group discussed the administration’s anticipated infrastructure proposal, ideas for regulatory reform, new policy research reports and the response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Williams will speak at the Oct. 9 Opening General Session of the APTA Annual Meeting.

Public Transit Industry and Advocates to 'Rally 4 Transit'

Public Transit Riders See Cost Stability as Gas Prices Rise

At a time when extreme weather events have led to a 40-cent-per-gallon increase in gasoline prices, public transportation remains a stable choice for daily commuting, providing an average annual savings of $9,946 or an average monthly savings of more than $829 for a person who switches his or her daily commute from driving to taking public transportation.

APTA bases the savings in this month's September Transit Savings Report on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle, including the national average gas price according to AAA and the national unreserved monthly parking rate.

Find the complete report here.

To learn more or calculate your individual savings, with or without car ownership, click here.

SAVE THE DATE

We're counting down to the 2017 APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO, Oct. 8-11 in Atlanta! What's new this year? Here are a few examples:

The Wednesday Wake Up Breakfast program, in conjunction with WTS, on the theme “Climbing the Ladder, Building the Pipeline,” featuring a panel discussing ways that established public transit professionals can help younger workers build and advance their careers;

The COMTO/APTA Forum, which will include APTA’s premier screening of the award-winning documentary film Free to Ride, about the power of civil rights and efforts in Dayton, OH, to provide access to jobs and other quality of life opportunities through expanded public transit; and

A clothing drive for Atlanta. Donations of work-appropriate clothing can make a world of difference for local Atlanta residents, families and communities and help stimulate growth in the city's economy. All men’s donations will go to Goodwill and all women’s donations will go to Dress for Success.

Register now!

IN THE MEDIA

'Break the Travel Quo': Amtrak has launched a new promotional campaign that uses lighthearted videos to promote the advantages of traveling by rail compared with air and car travel.

Name the Tunneling Machines: Los Angeles Metro invites area students from kindergarten through 12th grade to continue a centuries-old tradition by naming the two Tunnel Boring Machines that will dig the twin subway tunnels to connect three underground stations of Section 1 of the Purple Line Extension. Metro will accept artworks and essays through Oct. 15.

Houston on Two Wheels: As floodwaters have receded in Houston following Hurricane Harvey, Houston Bike Share is providing donated bicycles to some of the residents whose cars were destroyed in the storm. Fast Company magazine has the story.

Unbuilt NYC Infrastructure: A floating airport? Pneumatic trains? A football stadium in Manhattan? "Never Built New York," an exhibit at New York City's Queens Museum through Feb. 18, 2018, showcases infrastructure projects that were all planned for the city but never were brought to life.