GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – Gainesville’s Regional Transit System (RTS) is getting a lot of green to “go green.”
The City of Gainesville announced on Wednesday that its Department of Transportation is receiving $26.4 million in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The city says the funding will enable it to purchase full-sized hybrid electric buses with the remainder going to building the city’s first solar-generating facility at the RTS administration complex.
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Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the award is the city’s largest single federal grant for RTS. He expressed gratitude for the funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Thanks to this historic investment in sustainable public transportation for our community by the Biden Administration, we’ll have one of the newest – and most fuel-efficient – transit fleets in the entire state,” said the mayor. “This funding will truly help us better serve our neighbors who rely on RTS for safe, efficient and reliable transportation every single day.”
The city anticipates the arrival of five new buses in 2026 with older diesels being replaced by the hybrids first. It says that the on-site solar facility is expected to begin construction as soon as planning and permitting processes are complete and be finished a few years after that.