A City of Jonesboro grant application of $878,584 for five low- or no-emission trolley-style buses was approved today by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Mayor Harold Copenhaver said the funding will help Jonesboro’s long-term JET program transition to future fuel opportunities.
“This is a victory for the long-term future of Jonesboro,” Copenhaver said. “Hybrid vehicles will become critical in the not too distant future, and we want to improve not only the quality but the appearance of our JET fleet.”

The total includes a 15-percent match by the City.
Grants and Community Development Director Regina Burkett and staff applied for the grant last spring, seeing Federal Transportation Authority opportunities for funding of new technologies that reduce emissions. Out of 530 nationwide applicants, 150 cities were awarded.
“Thanks to our grants department, we rose to the top,” Copenhaver said.
As the transportation industry transitions to new technologies that will reduce emissions, the FTA is providing funding for transit agencies to help retrain existing workers and recruit and train new workers.