Tri-County Action Partnership Secures Federal Grant for Cleaner Transit Buses

(KNSI) – A local transit provider serving central Minnesota will receive part of $4.4 million in federal funding to upgrade its fleet with cleaner-burning vehicles.

Tri-County Action Partnership, which provides services across Benton, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne and Stearns counties, was awarded the grant through the Federal Transportation Administration’s Low and No Emissions Program.

The money will pay for five new propane-powered buses and the fueling infrastructure needed to support them. The propane buses will help Tri-County Action Partnership reduce emissions while replacing older vehicles that have reached the end of their service life.

The grant was part of a larger $17.9 million federal award to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to help rural transit providers across the state replace aging vehicles and modernize their fleets.

“These funds improve a critical lifeline for people living in rural Minnesota,” said Sarah Ghandour, director of MnDOT’s Office of Transit and Active Transportation. “When we invest in modern transit facilities, it supports long-term service reliability.”

MnDOT manages federal funding for rural Minnesota transit programs and works with local partners to distribute the money. Projects were selected based on demonstrated local need, readiness to proceed and alignment with federal grant requirements.

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