Racine Mayor Mason: City receives $6.1 million for new electric buses

Racine awarded 2^nd highest allotment statewide of VW Transit Assistant Grant

Racine – On November 28^th the City of Racine was notified by the Wisconsin Department of Administration that the City would be awarded $6,190,906 for at least 6 new electric buses from the Volkswagen Transit Capital Assistance Grant Program.

“This is exciting news for several reasons. It’s good for the City budget, allowing us to have a dedicated funding source to replace some of our aging buses. This also helps us keep our commitment to reducing the City’s carbon footprint, and it allows us to be innovative as a SmartCity. It really is a win-win for the City,” said Mayor Cory Mason.

Funding became available from the state because the car manufacture, Volkswagen, admitted to violating the Federal Clean Air Act in lawsuit brought against the company after it was discovered the vehicle emission were intentionally misreported. Volkswagen was order to pay a settlement of $2.9 billion to states. Wisconsin received $67.1 million of that settlement, and made $32 million of that available via grants to municipalities to replace aging buses. In September, the City applied for the grant with a request for new electric buses, which also included the costs of infrastructure upgrades and charging stations.

Other Cities who were awarded grants include:

Applicant                           Replacements    Amount

City of Appleton               15                         $7,688,850.00

City of Eau Claire              3                            $1,970,700.00

City of Green Bay             4                            $1,846,000.00

City of Janesville              3                            $1,504,500.00

City of La Crosse               1                            $421,500.00

City of Madison                10                         $4,798,800.00

Milwaukee County          11                         $5,461,500.00

City of Racine                   6                            $6,190,906.00

City of Sheboygan            2                            $903,000.00

City of Wausau                 3                            $1,214,244.00

Total                                    58                         $32,000,000.00

More information can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Administration website: https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/vwsettlementwisconsin.aspx

About the City of Racine

 With a population of 78,000, Racine, Wisconsin is the fifth largest municipality in the state of Wisconsin.  It is home to manufacturing businesses that enjoy world-wide reputations, SC Johnson, CNH Industrial, Twin Disc, Modine, and In-Sink-Erator among them.  Racine is also home to diverse cultures, a thriving downtown, and world-class beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan.