City of Houston Federal Update

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Press Conference Group PhotoCompetitive Grants - No-Low Emissions Grant

The Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program makes funding available to help transit agencies buy or lease U.S.-built low- or no-emission vehicles, including related equipment or facilities.

The IIJA provides $5.5 billion over five years for the Low-No Program – more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding. For Fiscal Year 2022, approximately $1.17 billion was available for grants under this program.

In August of 2022, the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (known as “METRO”) secured $21 million to purchase and maintain 20 new electric buses to add to its fleet. Half of the buses will operate on Route 28 along Old Spanish Trail and Wayside while the other half will be used on Route 402 on Bellaire.

METRO’s plans call for the transit agency to continue to purchase electric vehicles through 2030 as it works to convert its entire fleet of 1,200 buses to zero emissions vehicles.

In June of 2023, USDOT awarded another $1.7 billion from the IIJA to entities across the country and once again, METRO won a competitive grant. This time it was a $40.4 million project to purchase 40 buses and upgrade its Hiram Clarke bus depot to fuel and service renewable natural gas buses.

Currently, the vast majority of Metro’s roughly 1,200-bus fleet runs on diesel, though more than 400 are cleaner diesel-electric hybrid buses. Less than 200 buses in the fleet operate on natural gas or electric. The proposal for the 40 new buses calls for Metro to buy the buses for an estimated $28 million, then spend $12 million retrofitting bus bays at the Hiram Clarke garage for the buses and building a centralized refueling center.

Mayor Turner and Group in Front of an Electric Bus

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