AATA receives $2.1M federal grant for more hybrid buses in Ann Arbor, Levin announces

"Michigan knows better than most states the value of promoting emerging clean energy technologies not just for the environment, but to create jobs," Levin said in a statement. "Helping local communities adopt these technologies makes them more affordable and available and it helps us protect clean air."

AATA, which is building up momentum for a countywide expansion of transit services, has had many successes recently in securing federal grants for various initiatives.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, announced in late September that $2.7 million in federal grants for AATA had been secured, including $1 million to demolish and rebuild the Blake Transit Center and $1.7 million to add 10 more hybrid buses to the agency's fleet.

Levin and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., also announced in mid-October that AATA had been awarded two separate federal grants totaling $3.8 million.

About $2.6 million of that was to help fund the Reimagine Washtenaw project, designed to increase transit service frequency on Washtenaw Avenue, while $1.2 million was to help fund the Ann Arbor Connector project to study advanced transit options in the city, including a monorail.