Whatcom County secures $17 million federal boost for its hybrid buses
Whatcom County’s bus service provider is getting nearly $17 million in federal funds to boost its fleet of hybrid electric buses.
A $16.7 million award to the Whatcom Transportation Authority was announced Friday as part of a $50 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to help transit agencies in the Northwest transition to low-emission buses, improve service reliability and invest in paratransit services, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen said in a statement.
Larsen, whose 2nd Congressional District includes Bellingham, is the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Funding comes from a measure that passed under President Biden and awarded under President Trump.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver cleaner and greener bus service to Northwest Washington,” Larsen said. “This critical funding will allow local transit agencies to reduce carbon emissions and maintenance costs while ensuring riders continue to have reliable, accessible transportation options.”
Whatcom Transportation Authority will use the grant to replace diesel and hybrid buses with 14 new hybrid buses, WTA spokeswoman Maureen McCarthy told The Herald.
McCarthy is confident that funding will come through because it was “submitted, reviewed and awarded under this administration,” despite Trump’s recent hostility toward renewable energy systems.
Ferndale City Council Member Ali Hawkinson, who heads the WTA board, said the grant will improve the safety and reliability of WTA’s service and lower its carbon footprint.
“This funding represents an important win for our riders, for our entire community, and for our environment,” Hawkinson said in a statement.
WTA’s fleet currently includes 12 electric buses, 15 hybrids and 41 diesel buses that burn a renewable fuel made from agricultural by-products, McCarthy said.
More than 3.7 million individual trips among the WTA fleet were recorded locally in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 1:06 PM.
