Evansville lands $20M EPA grant to improve clean transportation
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $20 million grant to the city of Evansville and Wellborn Baptist Foundation. The funding is designed to support the city’s efforts to transition to lower-emission transportation systems.
The Community Change Grant comes from the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, the city said in a news release.
Through the initiative, the city aims to promote public transit, shared rides, and physically active modes of travel built around new “mobility hubs” across the city.
“This transformative grant from the EPA marks a pivotal step forward for Evansville in building a cleaner, more accessible, and sustainable future,” Mayor Stephanie Terry said in the release. “By investing in innovative transportation systems and enhancing mobility across our community, we’re creating opportunities for all residents to thrive while addressing critical environmental challenges.
The grant will fund a number of projects, including developing 15 mobility hubs along the city’s existing public transit routes, expanding the METS Micro Transit program to 16 EV or hybrid, ADA-accessible vans, and installing 62 public EV charging stations at various locations.
Other projects receiving funding are:
- Improving 4.1 miles of city sidewalks for ADA accessibility, and for walking and biking
- Expanding the Upgrade bikeshare system to include 100 E-bikes, with 1,000 free annual memberships for city residents to utilize unlimited 30 min. rides.
- Installing solar panels on the METS administration building and bus terminal to further lower emissions of our public transit.
- Conducting a community-wide education and outreach campaign to increase utilization of cleaner transportation options and awareness of their impact on air quality.
- Conducting a free annual community event to promote EVs and other low emission vehicles.
“This project will provide our residents better access to clean and active transportation options, which will in turn reduce transportation air emissions and improve our air quality,” said Lauren Norvell, Director of the Evansville Climate Collaborative. “It is just one of the many collaborative projects we are engaged in to improve our climate resilience and quality of life here in Evansville.”
Evansville was one of 105 cities awarded—selected from more than 2,700 applicants—and the only Indiana city to receive a grant.