Stabenow, Peters Announce Nearly $17 Million in Federal Funding to Modernize Public Transit Infrastructure in Grand Haven and Fulton

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters announced a nearly $17 million investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help the Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System (HTMMTS) and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi make critical upgrades to public transportation infrastructure to support the transition to cleaner, modern buses. Funding for the projects comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities grant program, which was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the senators helped enact. Peters also supported HHTMMTS’s applications for this federal funding.

“Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Grand Haven and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi are receiving funding to update their transit systems,” said Senator Stabenow. “These grants are important investments to make sure people have reliable transportation to get to their jobs, doctor appointments, or grocery stores.”

“This federal investment will set Grand Haven and Fulton up for success in improving regional transit and transitioning to lower emission transportation options,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud support this funding in the bipartisan infrastructure law to provide safer and cleaner options for those who depend on the bus to move around their community.”

“Today, 117 communities, including Grand Haven and Fulton, are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies across 47 states replace old buses running on dirty, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.”

Below are descriptions of each project:

• Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System Operations Center – Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System will receive $16,252,400 for the design and construction of a multi-modal system operations center to accommodate the transition to a zero-emission fleet, with fueling and charging equipment, vehicle maintenance infrastructure, as well as electric vans and charging stations. The new facility will also accommodate administration and workforce training facilities for regional transit providers.
• NHBP Transit Bus Replacement Project – The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi will receive $539,750 to buy an ADA-compliant, clean-diesel bus to replace an outdated diesel-powered vehicle. The new vehicle will relieve reliance on a bus that has exceeded its useful life and help build the fleet to meet ridership demand and better connect underserved communities in rural southwest Michigan.

The Low or No Emission grant program provides funding to state and local governmental authorities to acquire zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, as well as the construction of lease of required facilities to support new and modern buses. More information about the program can be found here.

###