DURHAM, N.C. — The City of Durham is adding six new electric buses to its GoDurham fleet. The move comes thanks to a $1.6 billion grant from the Federal Transit Administration, or FTA.

The $1.6 billion is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding which will help double the number of clean transit buses on the roads.

The grant awards were announced Tuesday to invest in bus fleets and facilities across the country.

GoDurham is one of the 150 fleets across the country receiving some of the money. In total, GoDurham is getting $5.7 million for its six new electric buses.

It's a huge accomplishment for City of Durham Transportation Department Director Sean Egan, who’s been on board for the last three years.

"It runs on batteries and we are moving away from those buses that used to belch black smoke out of the smoke stack at the top," Egan said. "Our buses are clean, our buses are quiet, our buses have Wi-Fi on board all of them, and from now until at least June of next year, our buses are free.”​

GoDurham received two of the zero-emission buses in April 2021. Now, it's adding six more to it's fleet.

And while the electric buses look pretty similar to a diesel bus, they cost approximately double the price. It costs around $1 million each, when charging and other equipment is included. But Egan says they are more cost efficient over time.

"By moving away from diesel fuel and moving toward electricity, we are seeing substantial cost savings on our energy for propulsion of the buses," Egan said. "We also see cost savings over the life of the vehicle on maintenance.”"By moving away from diesel fuel and moving toward electricity, we are seeing substantial cost savings on our energy for propulsion of the buses," Egan said. "We also see cost savings over the life of the vehicle on maintenance.”

The move to go green is a big step forward for Egan, who’s been working in the transportation sector for more than a decade. He says GoDurham is often working with folks who face significant transportation barriers. And this new line of buses not only helps the environment, but helps bridge that gap.

"Mobility gives people freedom," Egan said. "We know that we [have] many underserved populations. Over 80% of GoDurham riders are people of color. Over 70% have incomes below $25,000 a year. And more than two-thirds come from zero-car households," he added. "So transit is their transportation, they count on it every day. And that is why it is so important to make it frequent, reliable and free.”

The money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is not just helping Durham, but also helping communities across the country purchase more than 1,800 new buses in all. Most of them are zero-emission, to help meet Present Joe Biden’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Biden also signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Tuesday. It incentivizes consumers to go greener with things like electric appliances, clean cars and solar panels.