LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Transportation District received $7.9 million in federal funding for six new 35-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses that should be operating around Lake Tahoe in about two years. The additions to the quieter green bus fleet boast benefits including being up to 30% more fuel efficient, more cost-effective to maintain in addition to having a longer 12-year lifespan. 

“We anticipate having funding available by the end of the year,” said Tiara Wasner, Public Information Officer for the Tahoe Transportation District. “Buses are not off-the-lot purchases, so the time from order to deliver can be 18 to 24 months.” 

These additions will expand TTD’s low- and no-emissions bus fleet to 17. 

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“The new buses will improve safety, reliability, and mobility for the residents of, and commuters and visitors to and from the Lake Tahoe Basin,” Wasner said. “And that TTD staff have been, and continue to be, extremely effective at obtaining competitive grants for Lake Tahoe.” 

The 30-seater buses will reduce emissions and provide a more sustainable transportation option for the Tahoe community. 

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“The introduction of diesel-electric hybrid buses marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to sustainable transportation,” said Carl Hasty, District Manager of the Tahoe Transportation District. “This funding will not only allow us to upgrade our fleet with greener technology, but also enhance the overall transit experience for our community and visitors.” 

Hasty said he’s grateful for the federal support that makes this green fleet possible and helps Lake Tahoe with its climate goals. 

It is part of a $1.5 billion funding initiative encompassing 117 projects aimed at improving public transportation in 47 states. 

Over the last three years, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has allocated almost $5 billion to replace and modernize buses in the U.S. This initiative will fund more than 3,650 new buses built by American workers. 

It is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal investment in the nation’s bus systems and the transit workforce. 

About 80% of the buses being funded will run on zero and low-emission technology, reducing air pollution and helping meet the president’s goal of zero emissions by 2050. 

The projects are supported by FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities, and Low-and No-Emission (Low-No) Vehicle programs. 

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program provides federal funding for transit agencies to buy and rehabilitate buses and vans, and build and modernize related facilities. 

Through 2026, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide almost $2 billion for this program. For fiscal year 2024, the program gave about $390 million in grants. 

FTA’s Low-and No-Emission program makes funding available to help transit agencies buy or lease U.S. built low- or no-emission vehicles, including buses and vans, make facility and station upgrades to accommodate these vehicles, and buy supporting equipment like battery electric charging. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5.6 billion through 2026 for the Low-No program. It is more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding. 

For fiscal year 2024, approximately $1.1 billion was available for grants under this program. 

TTD is a bi-state agency responsible for the management and implementation of safe, environmentally sound, multi-modal transportation projects and programs in the Lake Tahoe region. It focuses on transit’s role in improving air and water quality since more than 70 percent of the pollutants impacting Lake Tahoe’s clarity come from the transportation system and environment run-off. 

For more information, go to http://www.TahoeTransportation.org