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ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to purchase two new diesel-electric hybrid buses, officials from the local bus agency announced Thursday.

The two buses are not expected to cruise the hills of Tompkins County “for at least another year due to the lengthy procurement and manufacturing process,” according to a press release.

The grant award comes after years of labor and maintenance challenges at TCAT have caused the transit organization’s service levels to contract. TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones said the grant will help to reverse those challenges. 

“As TCAT struggles with an aging fleet, this investment from the federal government is critical to keep our fleet renewed on a regular basis to provide our community with clean and reliable mass transit service,” Rosenbloom-Jones said. 

The press release stated that one transit bus has the capacity to take 60 single-occupancy vehicles off the road, curbing greenhouse gas emissions. These improvements will help alleviate air and noise pollution in Tompkins County, according to the release.

In August of last year, Proterra, the California-based electric bus manufacturer that supplied TCAT, declared bankruptcy. Seven of the battery-electric buses they supplied to TCAT were mothballed last March after mechanics found a crack in the fiberglass body of one of the buses. Mechanics also found an axle had detached from the frame on another of the Proterra buses, raising safety concerns. 

Each of the electric buses cost about $1 million, paid for with the help of a $2.3 million federal grant, an $8.7 million grant, a Volkswagen Settlement, and state and local funds. Currently, the seven Proterra buses sit idly in the agency’s garage and the chances of them going back into service are uncertain. 

Following Proterra’s bankruptcy, TCAT’s board of directors authorized the purchase of five diesel buses, going against the organization’s plan to have an emissions-free fleet by 2035. The FTA requires buses to remain in operation for at least 12 years before public funds can be used to replace them. 

TCAT remains committed to the 100 percent zero-emissions goal, but with a more “pragmatic timeline,” according to the press release. TCAT’s board of directors has prioritized improving fleet services before fully transitioning to an emissions-free fleet. 

TCAT plans to buy the diesel and hybrid buses from another California-based bus manufacturer, Gillig. The company also plans to purchase six more electric buses using another federal grant the FTA awarded TCAT in 2022. However, because of the limited number of manufacturing companies that produce electric buses and the surge in demand, Tompkins County residents will have to wait until 2026 at least to ride a new electric bus. 

Until then, Rosenbloom-Jones said that TCAT staff is focused on maintaining and repairing the existing fleet. He said new recruitment, training and retention strategies are improving service reliability. 

TCAT is set to restore service to the 14S West Hill shopper and more weekend and night trips, starting Aug. 18.