Connect Transit receives a $13M grant for electric buses and a training facility

Posted on August 16, 2022
Connect Transit General Manager David Braun spoke with WJBC’s Blake Haas. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Blake Haas

NORMAL – Connect Transit is on the cusp of five new electric buses thanks to a multi-million dollar grant.

The grant also provides funding for electric vans and a new training facility.

“We’ll be replacing aging diesel buses with electric buses,” Connect Transit General Manager David Braun said on the afternoon show. “The other projects include a facility for training. The training facility will be a great use of resources so that we can pull in more training not only for our employees but also regional training for trans systems in the area.”

A third project involves what Braun calls “micro-transit vehicles,” which will be smaller electric vehicles used to transport customers from out-of-the-way neighborhoods to fixed routes.

The $13 million grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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