Cincinnati Metro Awarded $3.8 Million In Ohio EPA Grants

Cincinnati Metro has announced that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the transit agency nearly $3.8 million in funding dedicated to purchasing four diesel-electric hybrid transit buses. The new state-of-the-art buses will replace four diesel-powered buses that have been in service since 2013, marking another milestone in Metro’s commitment to reducing emissions and embracing innovative public transportation methods.

“We are extremely grateful to the Ohio EPA for their generous grant,” Darryl Haley, CEO of Cincinnati Metro, said. “This investment not only allows us to modernize our transit system, but also demonstrates our continued commitment to providing cleaner, more sustainable transportation options for our community.”

Anticipated to be on the road in 2025, these four buses will join Metro’s growing fleet of 201 mini-hybrid buses and 10 similar hybrid-electric buses, which will be unveiled later this month. Hybrid-electric buses incorporate advanced energy-saving methods, resulting in significantly reduced energy consumption compared to fully diesel-powered buses.

The grants, distributed by the Ohio EPA, come from the Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) program. Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program.