The city of Durango has received two grants that will allow it to upgrade its fleet of trolleys and buses, some of which will be converted to zero-emission vehicles.
Durango Transit won a $165,000 federal grant in a national competition to help replace aging trolleys and buses. The second grant for $80,000 was awarded by the Colorado Department of Transportation to fund the development of a zero-emission plan for all vehicles.
“We’re excited to upgrade our fleet and eventually transition them to ZEV’s in the near future,” said Sarah Hill, director of transportation for the city of Durango.
The federal grant to replace aging trolleys and buses will also help Durango Transit keep maintenance costs low and mitigate potential service delays, she said.
The Federal Transportation Administration generally requires local governments to replace fleet vehicles after five years. The city has already purchased one new trolley, and plans to replace four buses and a paratransit van used to transport people with disabilities in the coming months, Hill said.
The CDOT grant will allow the city to put together a plan for converting its gas-powered buses into zero-emission vehicles to reduce air pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases. The completion of the zero-emission vehicle conversion plan is expected for early 2023, Hill said.
“The ZEV plan is a new requirement by the FTA, so we have to eventually convert all of our fleet into zero-emission vehicles if we want to be eligible for future FTA 5339 grants,” Hill said.
Despite the work ahead, Hill said she and others in the transportation division are excited to upgrade Durango Transit’s fleet and eventually convert vehicles into something more environmentally friendly.
molsen@durangoherald.com
