Nebraska Transit Authority Receives $2 Million Grant

Lincoln, Nebraska Mayor Chris Beutler and StarTran officials today announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a $2 million Ladders of Opportunity grant to StarTran, Lincoln’s transit system. StarTran will use the grant funds to buy three buses and two downtown trolleys that run on CNG, as well as a bus driving simulator. The new buses will be procured within one year and will replace buses that have surpassed their 12-year usable life. The FTA received 446 project proposals from 282 applicants for the $100 million in grants. The competitive grant process resulted in the awarding of only 24 transit systems in the U.S. Mayor Beutler thanked Black Hills Energy for its cash match commitment of $28,000 for the purchase. Black Hills also helped the City purchase its first five CNG buses earlier this year. StarTran’s fleet of CNG vehicles will grow to 29 over the next two years.