Large federal grant will help EMBARK reach 2025 goal of 100% alternative-fueled bus fleet

If you are one of the thousands of people in Oklahoma City who regularly ride a city bus, the chances of you someday soon riding on a bus powered entirely by alternative fuels just increased significantly.

This past August, EMBARK, the business unit of the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority that provides bus, ferry transit, bike share and downtown parking solutions in the Oklahoma City metro area, was awarded a $6.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to purchase new compressed natural gas (CNG) and electrical vehicles (EV) for its fleet of buses and vans.

Electric vehicles produce no emissions and are typically quieter compared to gasoline-powered or diesel-powered vehicles. With its near-zero emissions, compressed natural gas is cleaner than other fossil fuels and better for the environment. In addition, CNG costs less and is easier on engine components.

In an EMBARK news release, Administrator Jason Ferbrache said the grant, which is the largest competitive grant for bus replacement that EMBARK has ever received, is an incredible opportunity to enhance the customer experience and support EMBARK’s vision to become world-class transportation.

“Being awarded this competitive grant for fleet needs provides flexibility to use existing resources for other capital investment within the system,” Ferbrache said.

Once the new CNG and EV vehicles are in service, which is expected to occur within the next two years, the number of CNG and EV vehicles in EMBARK’S fleet should increase significantly. EMBARK’s goal is to have a 100% alternative-fueled fleet by 2025. Of the 73 fixed-route buses currently in EMBARK’s fleet, more than half are CNG, electric or hybrid vehicles.

The $6.8 million grant was funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the FTA’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Program.