The Chicago Transit Authority says it plans to buy up to 150 hybrid buses after receiving a $121 million federal grant this week.
The Federal Transit Administration on Thursday announced $1.1 billion in awards through its Low or No Emission Grant Program. The program aims to help transit agencies transition to low- or zero-emission buses and garages.
The CTA said Friday it will use the money to buy fully-accessible, 40-foot hybrid buses.
“This solution represents the best path forward today to meet our core mission of providing safe, reliable and efficient transit services while also reducing our impact on the environment,” the CTA said in a statement.
The buses will likely hit the streets after 2026, given the time it takes to purchase and build them, CTA CFO Tom McKone said in a Thursday meeting of the Regional Transportation Authority.
Hybrid buses that use battery and diesel engine power can reduce emissions compared with traditional diesel-powered buses that make up the majority of the CTA’s fleet of about 1,900 buses.
But the new grant does little to help the CTA reach its goal of fully electrifying its bus fleet by 2040. Earlier this year, the CTA said it was buying 30 electric buses with a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, bringing its electric fleet to 55 buses.
Electric buses currently run on two lines: The No. 66 Chicago Avenue bus, and the No. 63 route between 63rd/Stony Island and Midway Airport.
The CTA reported having 240 hybrid buses about a decade ago. A CTA spokesperson did not immediately clarify how many hybrid buses are currently in CTA use.