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On June 12, 2025, the Local Infrastructure Hub hosted a session to discuss winning strategies for applying to this year’s Low or No-Emission Bus and Bus Facilities Grants (Low-No) to equip city and town leaders with essential updates, insights, and strategies to navigate the application process and manage awards effectively. This session featured Patty Kiewiz, Transit Director at Green Bay Metro Transit in Wisconsin; Robert Smith, Planning Director for the City of Montgomery, Alabama; Rusty Korth, Vice President of Zero-Emission Strategies for Rochester’s Regional Transit Service; and Brandt Hertenstein, Program Manager at the Electrification Coalition. They shared their firsthand experiences managing Low-No grant awards, including how they successfully renegotiated existing agreements to align with updated federal requirements.
Key Insights Shared
Prioritize shovel-ready projects with strong vendor partnerships.
Brant Hertenstein from Electrification Coalition suggested that cities should have their plans, partners and procurement processes in place before submitting. Applications that demonstrate that they are ready to implement quickly will be more competitive. He emphasized that the FTA is prioritizing speed and cities should avoid customization in bus purchases, partner with vendors early and commit to advanced or progress payments.
Partner early with experienced vendors and emphasize workforce training to strengthen your application.
Green Bay was awarded a little over $3 million in a Low-No grant to replace diesel-powered buses with battery electric buses and charging equipment. Patty Kiewiz, emphasized that Green Bay’s success was, in part, due to partnering with OEM and infrastructure providers early to streamline application and implementation. Green Bay worked to secure commitment letters which helped them submit a strong, shovel-ready application. She also highlighted Green Bay’s workforce development component as a standout element of their successful application, especially in light of federal emphasis on workforce readiness.
Tailor clean transit technologies to your unique infrastructure, route demands and funding availability.
The Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) was awarded $18.1 million in fiscal year 2024 Buses and Bus Facilities funding to buy new hydrogen fuel cell electric buses and to upgrade an existing maintenance facility to properly maintain its battery-electric buses. Rusty Korth discussed how different clean transit options, like battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses, offer distinct benefits and challenges. By evaluating local conditions and resources, Rochester realized that scaling battery electric technology across 100% of the fleet would not work, and decided that hydrogen fuel cells offered them a flexible approach to transit electrification.
Refine and reapply if you’re not awarded a grant on the first try.
The city of Montgomery’s transit system was awarded a Buses and Bus Facilities grant of nearly $17 million in fiscal year 2024 to buy battery electric buses, charging equipment, and to initiate a workforce training program. Robert Smith discussed that this was Montgomery’s third time applying. Montgomery didn’t give up after missing out initially. Instead, they prepared full and scaled-down versions to show flexibility and build on past lessons to strengthen their submission. They used prior feedback to improve and resubmit stronger proposals.
Resources Shared During the Webinar and in Discussion: