Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada will receive $4.8 million to purchase three hydrogen fuel cell buses and improve safety at 250 bus stops around the city through the installation of cost-efficient solar lighting. This grant funding will help RTC reach its goal of a fully electrified fleet of buses by 2035. Senator Cortez Masto wrote a letter in support of this grant in November of 2021. This week, the Senator also secured $2 million in community project funding for the RTC’s Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit Zero Emissions Fleet.
“RTC is bringing cleaner, safer, and faster transportation options to residents across the Las Vegas valley, and I pushed for this grant funding to help continue this important work,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll keep advocating in Congress for funding to support my Innovation State Initiative, which is all about finding sustainable and accessible solutions that will improve Nevadans’ quality of life and boost our economy.”
“We are thrilled about this additional funding from the Federal Transit Administration that will be integral in helping us implement our Zero Emissions Plan,” said RTC CEO MJ Maynard. “We are extremely appreciative of our federal delegation whose support and leadership has been critical to advancing our safety and sustainability initiatives. This additional funding will allow us to continue to incorporate new and innovative technologies that will help address transportation equity, increase mobility, and yield numerous benefits for Southern Nevadans.”
As part of her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has worked to improve transportation all over the state. She secured multiple transportation provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure law to help Nevada communities build electric vehicle infrastructure, make transit to school safer for students, and support smart cities that use technology to solve transportation challenges. Senator Cortez Masto has been instrumental in securing transportation grants throughout the state of Nevada, including $50 million for improvements to I-15 in Las Vegas, $23 million to enhance Pyramid Highway, $10 million to upgrade Washoe County’s public bus fleet, and $3.8 million to reduce public transit emissions in Southern Nevada.
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