Wilsonville Receives Grant For 2 Electric SMART Buses, Officials Say

WILSONVILLE, OR — The City of Wilsonville's South Metro Area Regional Transit agency joined TriMet last week when it learned that it too would receive a Federal Transit Administration grant to purchase new electric-powered buses for the city.

Wilsonville's Transit agency, or SMART, will receive $1.45 million for its participation in the Low or No Emission Vehicle Program in order to purchase two 35-foot battery-powered Proterra electric buses and the requisite charging infrastructure, according to SMART spokesman Dwight Brashear. The city will also put in $400,000 of its own for a total investment of $1.85 million, Brashear added.

"The Wilsonville City Council has made a firm commitment to transitioning the SMART bus fleet to a more sustainable, green future focused on alternative-fuel vehicles, including electric, CNG and diesel-electric hybrids," Brashear said in a statement. "Together with Tri-Met, SMART serves as an integral component of the Portland metro regional 'Climate Smart Strategy' that calls for increased investments in transit improvements to reduce vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases."

As part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, $55 million per year is available nationally until 2020. The FAST Act is legislation signed in 2015 by President Barack Obama authorizing the investment of $305 billion between 2016 and 2020 for various roadway safety, infrastructure, and research and technology programs.

TriMet and SMART are two of only 51 public transit agencies to receive the highly competitive national grant, Brashear said, noting that SMART worked with the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Center for Transportation and the Environment, and Proterra — a bus manufacturer — to complete the grant application.

"The city council is pleased that our staff members work diligently to compete successfully for federal funds that positively extend the impact of local taxes," Mayor Tim Knapp said in a statement. "Utilizing clean-fuel or no-emission buses can improve the quality of life for Wilsonville residents and commuting workers while advancing more efficient transit services."

After receiving the grant on Sept. 15, several state officials offered their congratulations for Wilsonville's forward-thinking initiative to locally reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.

"This is an example of the kinds of federal investments in local communities that helps to improve mobility, livability and our environment," Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said a joint statement. "Investments in our public-transit infrastructure are smart, long-term strategies that enhance our state's economy by providing a transportation alternative for Oregonians' access to jobs, school, medical appointments and other crucial services."

In another join statement, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman Kurt Schrader shared their congratulations as well:

"SMART serves a crucial role providing public-transit services in the increasingly congested South Metro I-5 Corridor between the North Willamette Valley and the greater Portland metro region of Oregon's First and Fifth Congressional Districts. As Wilsonville frequently does, the city has ponied up a considerable share of their own funding to make this project a reality and never shies from working alongside their surrounding communities from Salem and Canby to Tualatin and Beaverton to create more efficient, connected transit systems.
Their work on this program is a testament to what can be accomplished when our communities at the local, state and federal level work in unity. Electric vehicles are part of the solution as we work to address climate change and lower polluting emissions. Congratulations to Wilsonville SMART on leading the way toward a greener future and providing residents with clean public transportation options."

Photo Courtesy: City of Wilsonville