WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced two grant awards totaling $38,617,390 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Transit Authority (FTA), with funds appropriated by Congress, to improve mobility and transit options throughout the Tampa Bay area.

“Tampa Bay neighbors deserve affordable, accessible transit that helps riders get to work, school, doctors’ appointments and the grocery store,” said Rep. Kathy Castor. “By modernizing public transit and improving mobility across our growing community, we are opening doors to new job opportunities, strengthening local businesses and improving the quality of life for Tampa Bay area families. I’m proud to help deliver these resources so that every neighbor—no matter their zip code—has the freedom to move, connect and thrive in our community.”

“Today’s announcement represents a major step forward for reliable transit in Hillsborough County,” said HART CEO Scott Drainville. “This investment will help us improve service for riders, strengthen our workforce pipeline, and continue transitioning our fleet to cleaner, low-emission technology. We are deeply grateful for Congresswoman Castor’s leadership and strong support for public transit in Hillsborough County. Her partnership has been essential in securing this investment for our community. We want to thank FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro and his team for their partnership. The Administration’s priorities—improving safety, advancing workforce development and strengthening reliability—align directly with HART’s mission and the work we are doing here in Hillsborough County.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Federal Transit Administration, along with the continuing support from U.S. Representative Kathy Castor for her commitment to keeping the wheels turning in the event our transit facility loses power during a storm,” said Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer for PSTA. “These funds will ensure PSTA remains a resilient transit provider that can safely and continuously utilize its fleet to transport residents to jobs and families to opportunity, and even to assist with evacuations and transporting people with disabilities, even when the power is out.”

“This grant for HART is a huge leap forward thanks to our federal partners. HART provides such a pivotal lifeline for our working families – our seniors, those with disabilities, our veterans and so many others,” said Councilman Luis Viera, Chairperson of the HART Board. “ I am so thankful for the work ethic, tenacity and determination of our Congresswoman Kathy Castor, who always champions transit.  This grant allows us to move forward in a manner that is productive and is consistent with sustainability.”

FL-14 USDOT FTA’s Low- or No-Emission Program Grants:

• $32,037,390 – HART’s “Improving HART’s Service Through Reliable Fleet” Project: To support the acquisition of 33 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to replace 33 outdated diesel-powered buses and to expand HART's vocational training program and establish a registered apprenticeship program.
• $6,580,000 – PSTA’s “PSTA Facility Emergency Power Resiliency Project”: To support the replacement of the existing diesel-powered facility generator and the installation of a new generator to maintain charging power for electric buses and continue transit operations in the event of a power outage due to events like hurricanes.

Today’s announcement continues to build on the hundreds of millions in major infrastructure grants for Tampa Bay in recent years, including these in 2025: $23 million to HART for its maintenance facility and $62 million to Tampa International Airport and its new Airside D.