TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Michael Gibson, Interim Assistant City Manager
Jeffrey Yates, Assistant City Manager, ICMA-CM
FROM: Tyffany L. Neal, MPA, Transit Director
Michelle Brooks, Interim Budget Director
DATE: March 2, 2026
RE:Title
Accept and Appropriate Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grant NC-2026-008 Title
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 4: Desirable Place to Live, Work and Recreate
Executive Summary:
In April 2024, Council adopted a Resolution of Support demonstrate the City's local match funding commitment for a competitive grant application (FY24 Low-No Grant) to the FTA for the purchase of four (4) 35-ft low-floor battery-electric buses (BEBs) and charging infrastructure to replace diesel buses that have already met or exceeded their useful life.
In July 2024, the City was awarded $6,667,462 of FTA funds in addition to a local match of $1,666,366 for a total grant of $8,333,828, which will improve transit service for the entire community while creating American jobs.
Background:
In 2024, Congress established a competitive capital grant program under the FTA entitled Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program). This program provided transit bus funding over and above FTA's formula grant programs.
The City's bus fleet is aging, with several buses currently exceeding their estimated useful life of 12 years (or 500K miles). It is critical that buses be replaced in a timely manner since FAST buses accumulate a high number of miles every year. The City purchased 10 buses between 2010 and 2013 that are currently due to be replaced. Annual FTA formula fund apportionments are not sufficient to fund these needed replacements as formula funds also support other areas of the Transit budget such as operating assistance, maintenance, ADA, planning and other capital needs.
This is the City's third award of competitive FTA fund...
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