After years of discussion, the City of Las Cruces may be on the verge of building a new facility designed to support electric buses.
Along with dozens of other cities in 18 states, Las Cruces is receiving $6.4 million in funds through the American Rescue Plan, as announced by the federal Department of Transportation.
That funding is a part of a significantly larger $2.2 billion in grants announced by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who said the funding is particularly designed to help communities “across the country keep transit workers on the job and keep their trains and buses running.”
For the most part, American Rescue Plan funding coming into Las Cruces will be dedicated to boosting drivers’ salaries in the city’s RoadRUNNER transit system.
But a portion of the money is expected to go to the construction of an electric bus transit station.
Last fall members of the Las Cruces City Council approved a plan to purchase for $4.1 million five electric powered transit buses from the Los Angeles-based BYD Coach and Bus Company.
By Garry Boulard
