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KINGSTON — A $1.7 million federal grant will aid the Luzerne County Transportation authority in modernizing its fleet.
The funding, which comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program, will cover the cost of four new buses, LCTA Executive Director Norm Gavlick said.
“It’s a great thing,” Gavlick added.
By the end of 2018, the agency will have acquired a total of seven new buses, he said, with aid from different grant programs.
Under U.S. regulations, buses procured with federal government assistance must be kept in service for at least 12 years or 500,000 miles. The new buses will help LCTA retire vehicles that have at least a dozen years of service, Gavlick said.
LCTA currently operates a fleet of 38 buses. This year’s additions will bring the number to 40, with the new vehicles replacing five old buses and expanding the fleet by two.
The new, 35-foot vehicles will be powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), which burns cleaner than traditional petroleum and diesel products.
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Hazleton) and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) both supported LCTA’s bid for the latest grant.
In July 2017, Barletta, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao advocating on behalf of LCTA’s application to receive this funding.
Casey in August wrote to Matthew Welbes, executive director of the Federal Transit Administration, in support of the grant.
LCTA serves more than 1 million riders each year.