Casey Urged Approval of Grants to Modernize System, Purchase Hybrid Buses
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding SETPA two grants totaling $6.44 million for improvements to make the system cleaner and more reliable.
“These grants will help SEPTA continue to become cleaner and more dependable,” said Senator Casey. “With this funding, SEPTA can provide riders with high-quality transportation while reducing costs and emissions.”
Senator Casey urged approval of the grants in letters of support earlier this year.
“The new hybrid buses and the wayside storage project will play major roles in SEPTA’s overall effort to reduce energy consumption,” SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey said. “These clean, efficient technologies are helping SEPTA control costs and improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.”
SEPTA was awarded $5 million for the replacement of diesel buses that have exceeded their useful life with hybrid buses through the Department of Transportation’s Clean Fuels Program, which helps communities control ozone and carbon monoxide pollution while supporting emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses.
SEPTA was also awarded a $1.44 million grant for energy storage devices on the Market-Frankford Line through the Department of Transportation’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program, which works directly with public transportation agencies to implement new strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or reduce energy use within transit operations. The devices will allow SEPTA to make notable reductions in energy consumption and will serve as a model for implementation throughout the SEPTA system.
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