EPA grant will help Port Authority of Allegheny County purchase electric buses

The Allegheny County Health Department has been awarded a $5.67-million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will be put toward the purchase of seven battery-electric buses and one charging station for the Port Authority of Allegheny County.  

“We are quite fortunate in this community to have so many collaborations that benefit our region – and this announcement is no exception,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “The application by the health department for this funding from the Targeted Airshed Grant (TAG) Program, and the award by the EPA, will go a long way in helping Port Authority continue to transition to a more environmentally-friendly bus fleet, leading to better air quality and a cleaner environment for our citizens and our region.”

The EPA says the overall goal of the TAG Program, which is a competitive grant program, is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

The seven, 60-foot articulated battery-electric buses will be used in the operation of the Port Authority’s Downtown-UptownOakland-Wilkinsburg Bus Rapid Transit corridor, which is expected to be in operation by the end of 2022.

“The health department is excited to help Port Authority transition to cleaner transportation in Allegheny County,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the Allegheny County Health Department. “This is a small but important step toward cleaner air for all.”

“Receiving this grant will help us put electric vehicles in densely-populated areas with high public transit ridership,” said Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman. “We are grateful to the Allegheny County Health Department for submitting this application on our behalf as we continue to move toward a more environmentally-friendly fleet.”