Expand our bus fleet and keep the entire fleet in a state of good repair by replacing buses that have met their useful life

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $17.2 million to the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) on May 27, 2025, to expand and modernize its public transit bus fleet. MTD will use the funding to procure diesel-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to replace aging vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life, complete bus builds and testing, and deploy the new vehicles into revenue service. The project is expected to conclude by March 30, 2029, with no subrecipient activities involved.

This award supports MTD's core mission to provide continuous public transportation services to the Champaign-Urbana community while advancing environmental sustainability goals through zero-emission vehicle procurement. The primary beneficiaries are transit passengers and community members who will gain access to a newer, more reliable bus fleet. By replacing end-of-life vehicles with modern, environmentally-friendly alternatives, the project addresses both infrastructure maintenance needs and operational efficiency while supporting the FTA's broader objective of improving public transportation systems in urbanized areas.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to expand our bus fleet and keep the entire fleet in a state of good repair by replacing buses that have met their useful life.

Activities

The activities to be performed include issuing a purchase orders to procure diesel-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell electric buses complete the bus builds test and accept the buses and deploy the buses into revenue service.

Expected outcomes

The expected outcome of this project is for MTD to continue to provide transit services for the community.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries of the project are passengers and community members who will have access to newer buses. There are no subrecipient activities associated with this project.