by Michael J. Marino
City of Billings Metropolitan (MET) Transit System announced on August 15, 2022, that it has been awarded $3,880,316.00 in competitive grant funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
This money will be used to purchase four electric-powered buses, replacing four “older diesel buses that have reached end of life,” the press announcement stated.
Transit manager Rusty Logan told YCN there will be a public meeting at the Billings Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on August 18, regarding the plan to improve MET Transit’s services over the next five years.
Logan said this plan will include route re-structuring and potentially increasing the frequency at which buses stop from every hour to every half-hour. He also said they are looking at expanding the bus system’s service hours beyond 7:00 p.m.
“Overall, we’re looking at just creating a more usable public transportation system,” said Logan.
The grant is part of the FTA’s Bus Facilities Program, which recently expanded funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to include low-emission buses.
“We feel very fortunate to be selected because there were over 100 other localities that applied for this grant,” Logan said.
To learn more about the Billings MET Transit System, go online to: https://ci.billings.mt.us/2885/MET-Transit.
