Fort Bend County officials unanimously approved the submission of a grant application that would provide $13.7 million to revamp the county’s Fort Bend Transit system and bus facilities in a July 22 meeting.

The grant from the Federal Transit Administration aims to support cleaner, more reliable transit systems for families and underserved communities, according to agenda documents.

The details

The project design and construction as well as vehicle purchases is expected to cost $15.7 million, per agenda documents. The county could receive up to $13.7 million in funding with a local match by the county of nearly $2 million.

Project elements include:

• $4.5 million to replace 13 buses
• $3.8 million to expand the existing fleet by adding 11 compressed natural gas, or CNG buses
• $2 million to upgrade the existing maintenance facility at 3737 Bamore Road, Rosenberg
• $4.8 million to build a CNG fueling station at the Rosenberg maintenance facility
• $49,166 for staff training

The CNG buses are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as reducing the amount of people denied from full buses and increasing ridership by 16%, per the release.



Fort Bend Transit currently has 64 vehicles, connecting residents to major Houston employment centers including Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza and downtown, according to agenda documents. Ridership is increasing, with over 260,000 riders in fiscal year 2023-24 and over 2,600 denied from boarding buses per month.

The timeline

The FTA will announce whether the county is awarded the grant on Sept. 26, according to agenda documents.

If approved, design for the CNG station is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with construction completed by September 2026. Meanwhile, the CNG buses would be delivered at the end of September 2026 and would be implemented next December.