Iowa City Transit will add four electric buses and build new bus barn with federal grant money
A new home is on the horizon.
Iowa City recently received $23.3 million in federal grant money to help fund the construction of a new Iowa City Transit headquarters. The grant will also be used to purchase four additional electric buses, doubling the fleet to eight, making up 30 percent of its entire stock.
The new building will replace the nearly 40-year-old facility located at 1200 S. Riverside Drive, which used to be home to an old garbage dump.
Grant funding came from the Federal Transit Administration, which distributed a total of $1.69 billion to 130 communities across 46 states.
Iowa City Transit currently operates 13 bus routes throughout the city. The company introduced its two-year, fare-free ride program Tuesday, Aug. 1. The pilot program will study ridership impact and its role in the local economy while the city searches for a sustainable source of longterm funding. Annual bus fares brought in roughly $1 million per year.
Renewable-run facility will house the next generation of buses
Iowa City Transit’s new digs will provide additional and modernized infrastructure, including the installation of proper technology needed to store the growing electric fleet.
“The new facility will be purpose-built for electric or other low-emission technology and will be powered by clean, renewable energy enabling Iowa City Transit’s transformation into one of the most sustainable transit systems in the United States,” Iowa City transportation director Darian Nagle-Gamm said in a statement.
The estimated cost of the new facility is roughly $20 million. The city prepared to begin construction in the spring, though grant money wasn't secured until June.
“The project will improve transit system conditions, service reliability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the FTA’s grant notes said.
More: All Aboard: Iowa City's fare-free transit rolls out today, Aug. 1
The current facility was built in 1984. The city, in its application, noted several flaws within the structure and the surrounding area. Limited bus storage is often an issue, with employees forced to park extra vehicles in wash bays.
The exterior concrete is uneven and littered with potholes. The ramp entering the garage also requires annual resurfacing to maintain the proper slope, the transit department showed in photos. Additionally, drainage areas are overgrown with grass.
The facility's bathrooms are outdated and damaged while the hallways are lined with items from a lack of storage.
Repairs would come at a “significant cost,” likely around $2 million, the city wrote in its grant application, having already spent $1.5 million to date. Issues with the foundation and air quality concerns have also prevented expansion.
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The Iowa DOT said the facility was in “poor to marginal condition” when assessed in 2018.
The current facility is not suitable to house a fully electric or zero-emission fleet, both because of space and outdated infrastructure.
A robust electric fleet meets Iowa City's emission goals
Iowa City’s Climate Action Plan aims to replace 55% of vehicle trips with sustainable options by 2050. This includes rides on the city’s electric buses, which they hope can be charged completely by sustainable energy in the coming years. Roughly 84 % of the city's energy was from renewable sources in 2020.
The city first rolled out electric buses in early 2022. The original fleet of electric buses was the first step in efforts to reduce carbon emissions and cut down on noise pollution.
More: 'They're turning heads': What it's like to ride Iowa City's colorful new electric buses
Coralville transit awarded nearly $1 million
The federal DOT also granted $17 million to the Iowa DOT, money that will go to transportation organizations across the state, including eastern Iowa’s Clinton’s Municipal Transit Association, Davenport-area River Bend Transit system, and Coralville’s transit department.
The grant provides the city of Coralville with just under $1 million in grant money that will be used to facilitate sustainability within the city’s paratransit system.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: $23 million grant to fund Iowa City Transit's new HQ, electric fleet
