Sacramento Regional Transit wins $40M for 49 new buses to replace clunkers
Sacramento Regional Transit has won a $40 million grant to replace 49 deteriorating natural gas buses with new low-emission vehicles.
The agency said in a news release that the buses have been in service for an average of 16 years and have each traveled more than 510,000 miles. The vehicles “operate at just 56% availability due to frequent mechanical issues,” according to RT, which described them as nearing the end of their useful life. The agency estimates it will save $2.4 million in spare parts costs over the first two years.
The new low-emission buses will run on more than two-thirds of RT’s all-day routes.
The grant comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission program. It is the second major award for RT in as many years. In 2024, the agency received $77 million to upgrade its bus maintenance facility at the former McClellan Air Force Base in North Highlands. The redesign makes space for the housing and maintenance of as many as 270 buses.
RT said it has “an urgent need to modernize its bus fleet.” By July, 78 of its buses will reach retirement age, and another 129 are expected to do so by 2028.
Out of necessity, RT is scrappy when it comes to funding.
RT spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez previously told The Sacramento Bee that “SacRT continues to face a significant disadvantage compared to many of our peer transit agencies when it comes to local funding. Currently, SacRT receives one-fifth of a penny in local sales tax support, while many other transit agencies receive a full penny or more. This disparity in local funding makes it more difficult to compete for state and federal grants, which often require a strong local match or demonstration of regional investment.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
