Fresno scores major multi-million grant to beef up the city’s bus system

The city of Fresno’s Department of Transportation received the largest competitive grant in the department’s history, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced Thursday, capturing a $52.1 million award.

The grant funds were awarded by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), through its Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP), a program to modernize transit systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state.

The $52.1 million grant is the full amount asked for by the city for the Fresno Area Express (FAX) and is the first TIRCP award received by the city since 2018, city leaders said in a statement.

“These funds will be instrumental in helping our transportation department meet and exceed the expectations of our community,” Dyer said in Thursday’s news release.

In combination with previously collected state grants, this award will go towards FAX’s $115 million System Efficiency and Accessibility Improvement Project. The TIRCP’s award will specifically cover the following:

• $21.5 million of the required $28.6 million for service expansion through Church Avenue to connect the area with higher education, including purchasing of hydrogen vehicles, bus stop build-outs, street improvements and safety improvements for pedestrian crossings.
• $23.2 million of the required $74.6 million for planning and construction of a fueling facility to accommodate the transition to hydrogen vehicles and zero emissions by 2040. This includes land acquisition for the hydrogen fueling facility, a hydrogen feasibility study and construction.
• $6.9 million of the required $11.3 million for construction of bus stop accessibility improvements including engineering and design, more bus stop build-outs and new passenger amenities.
• $450,000 for an On-Demand Improvement Study, an assessment of the need for a non-paratransit, on-demand service that includes transportation to Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

“I’m thrilled to see these transit and public works capital projects supporting our 19th bus route, improving bus stops city-wide, and planning for new on-demand service to the airport – all while preparing us for our zero-emission fleet that will utilize hydrogen,” said Gregory Barfield, director of transportation.

The FAX service expansion along Church Avenue will run from the area near the west Fresno campus for Fresno City College to near Sanger West High School and is scheduled to begin service in August of 2025, according Sontaya Rose, director of communications for the city.

Rose also said that new bus stop build-outs will feature solar lighting, bench seating and signs displaying upcoming arrival information.