Letter to David Price, Chairman of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies and Mario Diaz-Balart, Ranking Member of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies - Congressman Neguse Leads Letter to Increase Funding for The Low or No Emission Grant Program

Letter

Dear Chairman Price and Ranking Member Diaz-Balart:

We greatly appreciate your past support for additional funding of the Federal Transit
Administration's Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program. We respectfully request that the
Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
continue its support for low or no emission buses by providing this successful program with at
least $150 million in Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations.

The Low- No program at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is a competitive grant
program which provides funding to states, Indian Tribes, and local governmental authorities for
the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, as well as the purchase,
construction, and lease of relevant supporting facilities. This program gives states and
municipalities critical funding to transition their buses and bus systems away from fossil fuels
and reduce emissions.

In Fiscal Year 2020, the FTA awarded $130 million in funding to 41 projects in 40 states and the
District of Columbia. However, the Agency received 147 applications for the program in
FY2020--exemplifying the demand for these funds and the popularity of the program. Since its
establishment, the program has provided over $400 million in funding for Low- No buses and
infrastructure across the country. Additional investments in the Low-No program are in line with
President Biden's climate change goals, including his proposal to increase investments in electric
vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The transportation sector is responsible for the largest portion of United States greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions, making up 28 percent of our total GHG emissions as of 2018. The growing
threat we face from climate change means we must take active steps to reduce these emissions
and support the 23 states and the District of Columbia who have currently implemented
statewide GHG targets to reduce their emissions. The Low- No grant program does exactly that,
supporting local and statewide initiatives to transition from fossil fuel buses to lower or zeroemission transit vehicles and furthering our broader climate goals.

Additional investments in the Low-No program can have significant impacts on our
communities, allowing state and local governments to take action to reduce their vehicle
emissions and electrify public transit networks. Thank you for your consideration of our request
to provide $150 million in additional funds for the Low or No Emission grant program in Fiscal
Year 2022.

Sincerely,