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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The City of Gainesville has just received its largest single federal grant for its Regional Transit System (RTS).

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the award of $26.4 million this week. Much of the award will go towards purchasing full-sized hybrid electric buses.

The remainder of the funding, which will be about $4.4 million, will be used to build the City’s first solar-generating facility at the RTS administration building. The new facility will use clean power to offset a significant portion of the building’s annual electricity consumption. Solar panels will also help charge the electric bus fleet.

The federal award is specifically set aside for modernizing public transport options and cannot be used for operative or administrative costs.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this year to build and strengthen relationships with contacts at the FTA.

“Thanks to this historic investment in sustainable public transportation for our community by the Biden Administration, we’ll have one of the newest – and most fuel-efficient – transit fleets in the entire state,” said Ward. “This funding will truly help us better serve our neighbors who rely on RTS for safe, efficient and reliable transportation every single day.”

New buses may begin transporting residents around town as early as 2026. Officials from RTS said they will prioritize replacing the existing diesel buses based on mileage and age.

Currently, there are already five hybrid diesel buses and four battery-electric buses already operating as part of the fleet.

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