Newly improved JTRAN public transportation buses will soon roll through the streets of Jackson, Miss., thanks to a $13.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding comes from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The funding, provided through the U. S. Department of Transportation Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Grant Program, will support the Low-Emission Bus Fleet Modernization Project, designed to replace, expand, and modernize JTRAN’s existing fleet with hybrid and propane-powered buses.
“This grant is a testament to our commitment to improving public transportation in Jackson and ensuring that our transit systems are efficient, reliable, and sustainable,” U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a July 10 press release. “The modernization of our bus fleet will not only benefit the environment but also enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that the City of Jackson is one of 117 communities around the country receiving grant funds to modernize buses and improve commutes.
“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,” Buttigieg said.
The City of Jackson first began overhauling the JTRAN system in 2021. City leaders implemented a new fixed route schedule, GPS-monitored mobile app and updated bus stop signage on March 4.
The grant announcement comes weeks after Buttigieg’s first visit to the capital city on June 21, where he and Thompson broke ground on the Biden administration’s $20 million investment to renovate the cracked and pot-hole ridden roadway of Medgar Evers Boulevard.
Mississippi has received billions in funding under Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $1.2 billion for broadband expansion.
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