Project Applicant: Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
Amount Funded: $5,347,765
Description: SORTA has initiated a Smart Technologies Advancing Regional Transportation (START) program, with the goal of becoming a smarter, greener, and more sustainable organization for the Greater Cincinnati region while addressing service and congestion challenges noted above. We are requesting funding from this STP grant to be applied towards the implementation of the START program. Through this program, SORTA is evaluating green technologies to incorporate into the future strategy of the organization. These technologies include green diesel, CNG, electric, and hydrogen fuel cells. Currently SORTA is purchasing green diesel buses, and expects to be purchasing zero emission buses and infrastructure by the date of implementation of this grant, to be integrated into the existing diesel fleet, and thus move steadily towards a greener bus profile.
SORTA is requesting STP funding through this application for the replacement of sixteen (16) 40-foot transit vehicles with clean diesel technology buses. This will enable SORTA to replace our aging fleet at a quicker pace. SORTA will maintain the fleet using the Transit Asset Management Plan (TAM), which will provide a more robust way to track the life of our transit vehicles. This project will significantly improve the state of good repair of the transit fleet in the Cincinnati region, while lowering emissions and providing more accessible, reliable service for transit riders.