(The Center Square) — The feds awarded nearly $22.3 million to Georgia State University to buy electric buses for its Panther Express service as part of a fleet upgrade.
According to the Federal Transit Administration, the roughly 18 new buses will replace the system’s older diesel buses as Panther Express converts its vehicles to an all-electric fleet. The funding will also go toward buying charging equipment.
The money is part of roughly $1.7 billion in funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. As part of the fiscal 2023 tranche of federal money for local projects, the feds said they are allocating federal tax dollars for 130 awards in 46 states and territories.
The “grants will help deliver a cleaner and more modern mode of transportation, designed to reach everyone, and to work for everyone, particularly in places that haven’t received enough resources in the past,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in an announcement.
According to its website, Panther Express offers “last-mile service between” downtown Atlanta, the Fairlie-Poplar Business District, Summerhill and Sweet Auburn. Its fleet includes a mix of buses, including 40-passenger buses.
According to the FTA, it received funding requests for 475 eligible projects.
By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
