The state of Connecticut will purchase 46 battery-powered electric buses as it seeks to covert CTfastrak’s fleet, the state said Tuesday.
The purchase, announced by Gov. Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, is thanks to a $38.9 million competitive grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The grant will also fund the installation of 29 chargers for the CTfastrak bus rapid transit service.
The grant, awarded through the FTA’s Low or No Emission Grant Program, is part of $5.6 billion in funding from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The grant award helps accelerate conversion of the state’s public transportation bus fleet from diesel to zero-emission models by 2035, which Lamont directed CTDOT to complete through Executive Order No. 21-3.
“The new battery-electric buses and chargers will help us meet the growing demand for reliable, efficient, and environmentally-friendly transit options, and will greatly benefit the thousands of residents and commuters who rely on CTfastrak services every day,” Lamont said in a release. “Thank you to the Biden-Harris administration for continuing to invest in green technology that will modernize Connecticut’s public transit system and spur new economic opportunities across the state.”
The overall cost of the project is $86.6 million for the 46 battery-electric buses, purchase and installation of 25 chargers at the Hartford facility and four on-route chargers at the CTfastrak New Britain Station, in addition to associated electrical infrastructure. In addition to the grant funding, funding comes from more than $17 million in matching state funds and $30 million from federal formula funds.
CTfastrak, Connecticut’s first bus rapid transit system, provides direct service to and from Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford, and Manchester. It was recently ranked the best bus rapid transit system in the United States by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
According to the state, CTfastrak has provided more than 26.5 million total passenger trips since its inception in 2015.
