Program Overview

Section 5339 Fact Sheet

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program (49 U.S.C. 5339) makes Federal resources available to States and designated recipients to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities including technological changes or innovations to modify low or no emission vehicles or facilities. A sub-program provides funding for bus and bus facility projects that support low and zero-emission vehicles.

Additional information about the program and eligible expenses can be found in FTA’s Section 5339 Circular 5100.1 Bus and Bus Facilities Formula Program: Guidance and Application Instructions, and FTA Circular 5010.E Award Management Requirements.

Awards to subrecipients in rural areas are also subject to the requirements of FTA Section 5311 Rural Area Programs. 

Eligible Recipients & Subrecipients

Eligible recipients and/or subrecipients include:

• Designated recipients that operate fixed route bus service or that allocate funding to fixed route bus operators
• State or local governmental entities that operate fixed route bus service that are eligible to receive direct grants under Section 5311
• Subrecipients that are public agencies or private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation, including those providing services open to a segment of the general public as defined by age, disability, or low income

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities for the 5339 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program include:

• Capital Projects
  • Replace, rehabilitate, overhaul, and purchase buses, vans, and related equipment
  • Construct bus-related facilities
  • Technological changes or innovations to modify low or no emission vehicles or facilities
• Project Administration
  • Administrative activities of an organization pertaining to the immediate accomplishment or oversight of a project
  • Project administration costs must be directly associated with administering the capital project

Funding and Match Requirements

All projects funded under this program must be included in a locally developed coordinated public transit-human service transportation plan. More information about this requirement can be found in Circular 9070.1G.

How to Apply

As a potential funding recipient, you should first determine whether your organization and project are eligible for the program, based on the descriptions provided in the previous sections and/or the related FTA circulars.

Next, please visit NDOT’s Transit Programs web page to view the informational webinar, sign up for a pre-application meeting, find links to other resources, and access the online application. This year’s application schedule is provided below. Thank you for your interest in this program.