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Leaders and dignitaries join SARTA officials as they formally accept $17.3 million Federal Transit Administration grant, celebrate grand opening of new administrative facility

August 15, 2024

Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, Ajay Garg, Deputy Administrator of Region V of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and government, community, business, and labor leaders from across the region were on hand as officials of the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) formally accepted a $17.3 million FTA grant and celebrated the grand opening of the system’s new administrative facility.

“This is the largest single grant we have ever secured and the funding it provides will fuel our ongoing drive to build upon our status as a state, national, and world leader in the development and deployment of zero-emission technology in the public transit space,” SARTA CEO Kirt Conrad said. “We’re grateful for the support we continue to receive from Congresswoman Sykes, Canton Mayor William Sherer, the Stark County Commissioners, our state legislative delegation, and everyone who understands and values the essential role SARTA and public transit play in enhancing the quality of life in our community.”

“A meaningful quality of life and the economic development of Northeast Ohio depends on reliable transportation, and the fact that SARTA provides energy efficient and sustainable transportation is a win-win for the community and the environment. As the only Ohioan on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am glad to help secure this valuable investment that will improve public transit in our communities,” said Rep. Sykes.

“The project we’re celebrating today will help SARTA improve its main bus facility to ensure the agency can continue its path toward providing some of the most innovative service in the region,” said FTA Deputy Regional Administrator Ajay Garg.

According to Mr. Conrad, the $17.3 million awarded via FTA’s highly competitive Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program, will help SARTA achieve its sustainability goals in two ways: first, by supporting the system’s effort to convert its remaining fossil fueled buses to zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles, and, second, by funding the acquisition and installation of  a 1.2 Megawatt electrolyzer that will enable the system to produce green hydrogen on site. The electrolyzer will reduce emissions associated with the production of hydrogen used to fuel SARTA’s fleet, which is now trucked into the facility, by 64% in the future.

“We’ve been considering a number of options for producing our hydrogen for years,” Mr. Conrad said. “Now, thanks to the grant, we’ll have the ability to do it—and to provide hydrogen fueling services to the private sector. The availability of a convenient, reliable, affordable source of hydrogen will inevitably expand use of the fuel cell-powered vehicles in the short and long-haul transportation industry.”

Mr. Conrad said that he is particularly pleased that in addition to paying for hard assets, the FTA grant will enable SARTA to invest in people via a workforce development program that will be operated in partnership with Stark State College and the RG Drage Career and Technical Center. “We will actively recruit and prepare local residents for the wide variety of good-paying jobs that will become available thanks in large part to the federal government’s commitment to and massive investment in the development of clean hydrogen technology.” Additional details about the program, including enrollment information, will be released in the near future.

“We’re going to do all we can to ensure that our region reaps the benefits of that investment which includes the $925 million the ARCH2 Clean Hub alliance just received from the U.S. Department of Energy,” he said and noted that SARTA is a member of and project partner in that alliance. “Clean hydrogen is now an integral component of America’s long-term energy strategy, and Stark County is now positioned to be a leader in the hydrogen-fueled zero-emission economy that will drive growth in the 21st Century,”

The new Administration Building provides 13,000 square feet of additional office and meeting space. Its construction was a component of an overall four-year facility expansion project that included the acquisition of approximately 10 additional acres of land, the addition of an 80-space parking lot, secondary access in and out of the property, and a CDL training pad.  In total, the project cost approximately $9.2 million and was paid for with Federal, State, and Local funds.

“The building’s completion is perfectly timed in light of the FTA grant award and the opportunities and activities that will be created by our participation in the ARCH 2 project,” Mr. Conrad said. “The new building will ensure that we have the space we need to support increased ridership, implement new service models and programs, expand our workforce, and continue to provide the safe, affordable, public transportation the residents of Stark County need, expect, and deserve.”

For more information, please contact SARTA CEO Kirt Conrad at 330-477-2782  

Projects/programs funded by the FTA Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program

Acquisition and installation of a 1. 2 Megawatt (MW) electrolyzer that will enable SARTA to produce 400 kg of H2 per day or 146,000 kg per year of green hydrogen on site. The electrolyzer will be installed near the system’s existing refueling station and will include upgraded storage tanks and dispensers.

Installation of a 1.0 MW solar array on the roof of SARTA’s garage that will partially power the electrolyzer. The use of solar power will significantly reduce emissions generated by on-site hydrogen production.

Repair and replace the office/operational building’s roof, which is nearing the end of its useful life, and install upgrades needed to support the solar array.

Renovation of the Gateway office building which is aging and does not effectively support SARTA’s current operations and cannot accommodate anticipated growth. The renovation will provide enough space to house existing staff as well as a new regional dispatch and customer service center that will enable SARTA and other systems to enhance, streamline, and coordinate transit operations in Stark County and across northern Ohio.

Replace and make structural upgrades to the roof of the Cornerstone Transit Center which was installed in 2003 and has reached the end of its useful life, install rooftop solar arrays that will produce renewable power, and improve and enhance the Center’s safety and disabled access features.

Replace and install new asphalt at the Gateway site to improve ingress, egress, improve circulation and safety and support additional deployment of hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses and paratransit vehicles.

In partnership with Stark State College and RG Drage Career and Technical Center, SARTA will implement a comprehensive workforce development program that will provide local residents with the support and training needed to obtain good-paying jobs in the rapidly growing hydrogen/zero emission economy.

FTA grant project timeline

Start: January 17, 2025

Completion: May 31, 2027