The new FCRTA maintenance facility will include a 10,000 square-foot, four-bay maintenance facility and a 5,000 square-foot dispatching and administration office in Selma. Rendering photo by Frank Lopez

Rep. Jim Costa announced this week a $2.16 million federal grant for the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA) to advance construction of a bus maintenance and operations facility in Selma.

“Fresno County residents, especially seniors and those with disabilities, depend on an effective transit service to meet their daily needs,” said Costa. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment will help establish a clean, modern transportation hub to expand transit service, while mitigating air quality impacts and creating good paying jobs in Selma.”

Every day more than 60,000 buses in communities of various sizes take millions of Americans to work, school and other destinations they need to go, according to the U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“Today’s announcement means more clean buses, less pollution, more jobs in manufacturing and maintenance, and better commutes for families across the country,” said Buttigieg.

The FCRTA provides local and regional transit services to 13 rural incorporated cities throughout the county. The new Selma-based facility will include a maintenance shop to service the agency’s vehicles and bus wash services, as well as an office and training facility for technician training in advanced transit vehicle technology.

The grant is supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grants for buses and Bus Facilities and Low- and No-Emission (Low-No) Vehicle programs, as part of the $5.5 billion made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The project, which broke ground in April,  is set to be completed in 2024 and expected to generate 80-100 jobs.