The Federal Transit Administration awarded The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency with a $3.6 million federal grant that will help the agency purchase bus equipment and upgrade bus facilities.
While the transit agency has been upgrading its bus fleet, it is also imperative that the transit agency also upgrade its facilities to take care of the new buses in The City, said SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin in a statement:
“Facilities and training may not be the most exciting topic, but they are an essential part of our work to improving Muni and making it a more reliable service that people can depend on.”
Officials said the federal grant will be help with improvements at the SFMTA’s Woods Bus Yard, including installing a new equipment to wash buses, preparing the facility for the future of electrified buses and constructing a training room that will include a bus simulator.
The SFMTA Board of Directors in May approved a resolution committing to an all-electric fleet of buses by 2035 with purchases to begin in 2025.
In fact, the SFMTA has already tested an all-electric vehicle back in July.
Mayor London Breed said in a statement that the bus system is the backbone of the transit agency:
“This federal grant will provide much-needed funding to modernize our bus facilities, support critical bus operator training and help develop new electric vehicle infrastructure that will improve Muni’s reliability and help the City achieve our aggressive climate goals.”
Cheryl Brinkman, chair of the SFMTA Board of Directors, said the grant will help lay the foundation of preparing the transit agency for electric vehicles in the future:
“As an agency, we have always been forward thinkers when it comes to greening our fleet and we will continue to take steps to improve upon one of the already greenest fleets in the country.”
The federal grant is from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities Investment Program.
Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.
