Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will provide the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) with two grants totaling $76,378,905 to revitalize the city’s bus system.
One grant for $54,000,000 from the Buses and Bus Facilities Program will support the purchase of new buses and construction of a new maintenance facility. The second grant for $22,378,905 from the Low-No Program will support MATA in transitioning its fleet to clean electric buses and procuring charging stations for the Crosstown Corridor Connector.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
“This substantial funding will transform the way Memphians live and get to work. It will provide riders with more convenient and reliable transit options while reducing congestion, catalyzing growth, and building a cleaner, more modern transit system. It is a major investment in our community, and I’m proud to have supported and pushed for this critical funding.”
Congressman Cohen was in close contact with DOT and MATA regarding these competitive grants for Memphis. Funding for both programs was increased in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021, that only he and Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05) voted for from the entire Tennessee Congressional delegation.
The purpose of the Buses and Bus Facilities Program is to assist in the financing of buses and bus facilities capital projects, including replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing or leasing buses or related equipment, and rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing or leasing bus-related facilities. The purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the nation’s transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles. The Low-No Program provides funding to state and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.
Earlier this year, Congressman Cohen also announced that the Biden-Harris Administration recommended an additional $46 million for the Memphis Innovation Corridor Project, a proposed eight-mile bus rapid transit route connecting downtown to the University of Memphis and providing convenient and reliable access to jobs, education, health services, and civic centers. The project includes one mile of exclusive bus lanes, off-vehicle fare collection, transit signal priority, and streetscape and pedestrian improvements. Congressman Cohen continues working to deliver funding for this additional bus project.
Original source can be found here.
