- Brown Has Championed Federal Investment in Zero-Emission Buses.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a $2,393,600 grant to the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) to purchase zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and construct an on-site hydrogen production facility. Funding for this investment was made possible through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Brown helped to write and pass.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already getting resources to Ohio communities to improve transportation,” said Brown. “We worked to ensure the infrastructure bill will allow Ohio communities to upgrade their buses, and this investment will improve service for riders while reducing pollution. I’m working to make sure Ohio gets its fair share – or more – of infrastructure investment, and this is the first step in that effort.”
“I want to thank Senator Brown for his help in securing this grant. This funding will allow SARTA to purchase three additional buses for a total of 23 hydrogen fuel cell buses and upgrade our station. Transitioning to zero-emission buses has allowed us to reduce our CO2 emissions by 1,700 metric tons,” said Kirt Conrad, CEO and Executive Director of Stark Area Regional Transit Authority.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide a record $39 billion investment in new public transit funding over the next five years. Ohio is expected to receive $1.347 billion, with $32 million of formula funding dedicated to the Canton area.
In September, Brown joined local SARTA transit leaders and employees to discuss how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, would help public transit agencies invest in expanding service for Ohioans, job training, and new low and no-emission buses.
Brown – who serves as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees DOT’s Federal Transit Administration – has championed federal investment to support Ohio’s local transit authorities.
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