The agency said it has awarded $1.6 billion through a pair of programs to transit operators across the country. The money will be used to purchase about 1,800 buses — including 1,100 that aren’t dependent on fossil fuels — and to construct maintenance and charging facilities while training workers.

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The funding is one of the most direct ways the $1 trillion infrastructure package promises to cut carbon emissions from transportation, the nation’s biggest source of greenhouse gases. Federal officials will have another four rounds of funds to distribute in the coming years after Tuesday’s initial awards. The money is expected to help transit agencies accelerate plans to transition from diesel buses to battery- or hydrogen-powered buses.

Nuria Fernandez, the head of the FTA, said the money is a sorely needed infusion for transit agencies on tight budgets, allowing them to upgrade services while switching to sustainable fuels.