GALION — Public transit users in Crawford and Seneca counties may soon be greeted by hybrid or electric vehicles at bus stops.
Seneca-Crawford Area Transportation (SCAT) was one of six rural Ohio transit agencies selected to apply for grants in April and is set to receive more than $3.5 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants to fund low- or no-emission vehicles and infrastructure.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced Friday that more than $29 million in federal grants would be distributed to 10 transportation systems across the state to help agencies invest in green transit and facilities.
Brown is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees the Department of Transportation’s FTA.
Funding for this investment was made possible through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is getting resources to Ohio communities to improve transportation and support Ohio workers,” Brown said in a press release. “We fought to secure this investment to create jobs and to connect people with jobs – saving them time and money.”
Mary Habig, SCAT executive director based near Tiffin, said the agency will use the funds to buy electric vehicles and implement charging stations.
“This is a lot of money for us,” she said. “We’re a nonprofit, so when we get fully funded grants like this, it’s amazing.”
SCAT currently has 52 vehicles between Seneca and Crawford counties, ranging from minivans to 14-passenger buses. Habig said the FTA grants will help SCAT buy 10 low-emission vehicles and multiple charging stations.
Habig said SCAT tries to separate Crawford and Seneca county vehicles, but there is often overlap.
“We will definitely be using the electric vehicles in Crawford County as well,” she said. “My dream is to add a route going from Crestline-Galion to Ontario to get people to work, healthcare appointments and shopping destinations.”
Habig said buying new vehicles has been difficult during and after the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply shortages and delays. She estimated most of SCAT’s vehicles are 10 to 12 years old.
Once SCAT replaces some older vehicles, Habig said they will work with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to transfer old buses to other transit agencies if they need vehicles. If no agencies need them, SCAT would likely sell the old vehicles on GovDeals.com.
“All the agencies in Ohio work really well together to help each other, so we’d want to help a local transit agency first,” Habig said. “Our senators at the federal and state level have all been really helpful looking out for us in these rural areas.”
ODOT director Jack Marchbanks said state officials are looking forward to upgrading local buses.
“Transportation isn’t just moving vehicles, it’s moving people,” he said. “We are happy to partner with the federal government to help our local transit agencies upgrade their bus fleets.”
