Santa Fe Officials Gather for Transit Fund Announcement

A cast of local and national players gathered in Santa Fe Tuesday morning to celebrate the city’s recent score of a $1.92 million federal transit grant.

The money is part of a $787 million nationwide allocation by the federal Department of Transportation to update and replace aging transit facilities and equipment. Projects in 48 states will get cash.

Santa Fe Transit Division Director Jon Bulthuis told the Journal he thinks Santa Fe’s application struck a chord with the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration because the city already operates an environmentally-friendly but aging compressed natural gas bus fleet.

Around one-third of the city’s buses – Santa Fe has about 36 altogether, including 6 reserve buses – are over 10 years old, “well past” what the transit administration deems the useful life of such a vehicle, Bulthuis said.

The federal grant will allow the city to purchase six new buses. Additional city bond money will provide for another six units. “We’re in pretty good shape now,” Bulthuis said.

Santa Fe largely relies on federal funds for its transit capital purchases.

Bulthuis said it’s fairly unusual for a public system to operate entirely with natural gas buses, but the decision has paid dividends for Santa Fe Trails, the municipal bus system. The buses burn cleaner than diesel units and Santa Fe can purchase fuel locally.

It’s also cheaper. Bulthuis estimated that Santa Fe Trail’s natural gas expenditures currently amount to less than half of what it would pay for diesel.

Compressed natural gas buses “was always a great environmental call but now it’s looking brilliant as an economic and business call, as well,” he said.

Bulthuis said the city could be bringing the new buses on board – it’s still unclear if the purchase will take place at once or be staggered – by the end of 2013.

Deputy Federal Transit Administrator Therese McMillan, Santa Fe Mayor David Coss and City Councilor Patti Bushee were among the dignitaries at Tuesday’s gathering.

Santa Fe had some tough competition for its grant. The federal transit administration received 836 applications for funding, about $4 billion in requests.