{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-announce-70-million-to-modernize-virginias-buses", "Warner & Kaine Announce $70 Million to Modernize Virginia\u2019s Buses", "2025-11-19", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", "kaine", "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced almost $70 million in federal grant funding to improve Virginia\u2019s bus systems and reduce their emissions. This funding is awarded through the Department of Transportation\u2019s FY25-26 Low- or No-Emission Program and FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program, which is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators helped negotiate and pass.\n\n\u201cReliable access to public transportation is vital to Virginians, and we\u2019re thrilled to announce this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will modernize and electrify buses across the Commonwealth\u2019s cities and rural communities, increasing their efficiency, boosting accessibility, and reducing operating costs and environmental risk,\u201d said the senators.\n\nThe program grants will be distributed as follows:\n\nThe Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) will receive $8,621,909 for Phase III of the VA Rural Transit Asset Management and Modernization Program, which purchases or improves current buses to increase performance, update technology, and reduce risk to the environment in rural Virginia.\n\nThe City of Alexandria (VA-08) will receive $10,939,552 for its DASH Bus Fleet Replacement & Facility Rehabilitation project, which aims to transition the city to 100% zero-emission buses as well as purchase and build necessary transit facilities to support its growing fleet.\n\nThe Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will receive $50,322,380 for the procurement of low-emission transit buses, which will serve communities throughout the DMV and reduce the harm from toxic emissions in the region.\n\nWarner and Kaine have long supported efforts to fund lower emission vehicles. Last year, the senators announced over $50 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u2019s Low- or No-Emission Program for Fairfax County to purchase new low-emission hybrid buses under the county\u2019s fleet replacement plan. In 2023, they secured more than $171 million in funding to invest in American-built, low-emission buses and bus facilities.\n\nThe Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has brought billions of dollars in investments to Virginia, including resources to repair roads and bridges, expand broadband access, improve airports, ports and waterways, and modernize public transportation.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-announce-70-million-to-modernize-virginias-buses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7289472743868828, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}