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The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority has been awarded a $63.95 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the construction of a new agency campus and eight hybrid buses, according to an announcement last Friday.
Funded through the FTA’s Low or No Emission (“Low-No”) Grant Program, the forthcoming campus on Atlantis Court in Livermore is set to feature modern facilities for operations, administration and maintenance that support the latest technology, LAVTA officials said in a statement announcing their receipt of the award.
The agency, which operates Wheels bus services, also intends to use funds to replace eight aging buses with new, low-emission vehicles from Livermore manufacturer GILLIG. The new buses are meant to reduce maintenance downtime and service calls. Meanwhile, over half of LAVTA’s buses are on track to reach retirement age over the next five years.
The overall project dubbed “LAVTA BIG BUS” is expected to improve service reliability, reduce emissions and allow for the expansion of transit service throughout the Tri-Valley, LAVTA officials said.
“This grant award is tremendous for the agency. I’m proud to support LAVTA’s efforts to build out the Atlantis Campus with modern facilities and new hybrid buses so that we can connect the Tri-Valley for the next 40 years,” LAVTA Board Chair Julie Testa said in a statement.
This year, the FTA awarded over $2 billion through the grant to 167 projects across 47 states and territories for modernizing local transportation systems.
Of the awarded funds, LAVTA received the highest value grant in California and the fourth largest in the country, according to agency officials.
The award covers approximately 75% of the overall cost of the project, LAVTA officials said, adding that the high value of the grant indicates that their project matches federal priorities such as modernizing the nation’s infrastructure, reducing emissions and improving access to transportation for local communities.
Additional funding partners include the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the State of California.
“This critical investment completes the funding plan for Atlantis,” LAVTA Executive Director Christy Wegener said in a statement. “This project will create good-paying local jobs, ensure Wheels can expand services to meet the growing needs of the Tri-Valley community and ensure access to safe and efficient transit.”
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