Wheels bus system received notification from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that it has been approved for funding towards the purchase of two hybrid replacement buses.
The agency received $253,365 as part of the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP). This program was established in the Transit, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable communities Program by Senate Bill 862 in 2014. The LCTOP draws funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support transit agencies in their efforts to increase transit ridership and achieve set regional greenhouse reduction goals.
The new buses will be used on LAVTA’s commuter route 70X which connects the Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and Dublin/Pleasanton BART stations. Currently, the agency has 20 hybrid buses and plans to transition to running electric buses in the future.
