BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $7.8 million to Broward County Transit
(BCT) toward the purchase of 26 new electric transit buses through its
Electric Transit Bus Project as part of the government's settlement with Volkswagen over claims the company violated the Clean Air Act (settlement
details).
This funding will be used in conjunction with BCT's plans
to replace older technology diesel buses with new electric buses. From this awarded grant, $300,000 will be
applied to each of the 26 new electric buses purchased, with the remainder
of the funding coming from a combination of County Transportation Surtax and
Federal Transit Administration formula grant funding. BCT was the first transit agency in South
Florida to deploy electric buses and currently operates 12 all-electric buses
and 46 hybrid electric buses out of its fleet of 413 vehicles.
"We are honored to be recognized by the Department of
Environmental Protection as a leader in sustainability and to be a recipient of
this electric bus grant," said BCT's Deputy General Manager Tim Garling. "This
funding from DEP will be integral in BCT's continued commitment to protect air
quality and move toward our goal of a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035."
DEP's Electric Transit Bus Project utilizes funds from Florida's
portion of the 2016 Volkswagen Settlement and EPA's Diesel Emissions
Reduction Act grant program to reduce mobile air pollution caused by
diesel emissions by replacing diesel buses with cleaner electric buses.
Electric transit buses are an important and effective way
to reduce harmful emissions, especially in highly populated areas where mobile
sources are the largest sources of air pollution. As more electric transit
buses are deployed, emissions of air pollutants will be reduced, which will
continue to improve Florida's air quality.
About Broward County Transit
Broward
County Transit (BCT) provides fixed route, express, community
shuttle and paratransit services, serving a 410 square mile area. The
fixed-route buses travel between Broward, Miami & Palm Beach counties every
day of the week, including holidays. For more information about BCT or for
help planning your trip, visit our website, and Facebook page, or
call customer service seven days a week at 954-357-8400 or TTY 954-357-8302.We
Connect You to Life!
September 1, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynn
Opperman, Marketing, Communications, and Customer Relations Manager
954-357-4755