Caltrans on March 29 awarded $78 million to 130 public transit and air quality projects across California.

All of the funding comes from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond, which includes $3.6 billion to improve public transit in California.

“These projects will reduce traffic congestion and transportation-related pollution, improving our air quality, and bringing us another step closer to reaching our emissions-reduction goals,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim.

Some of the more noteworthy projects awarded Proposition 1B funding include the following:

Bay Area

• $9.1 million to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Most of the funding will be used to modernize 143 light rail vehicles currently in service, enabling the vehicles to remain in service an additional 25 years.

• $20 million to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to rehabilitate several transit systems, including replacing 80 diesel-powered buses with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, which emit far less pollution than diesel or gas-powered buses, and purchase 90 hybrid paratransit vehicles to increase service and ensure compliance with California Air Resources Board standards.

Central Valley

• $1.8 million to Fresno to repair 20 CNG buses.

• $700,343 to Kern County to purchase six new buses, replacing older buses that have been in use years beyond their usual length of service. The new buses will cost much less to maintain and will not stall or breakdown as frequently.

• $263,392 to Tulare County to purchase two CNG powered buses. These buses will replace two existing gas-powered buses, reducing particulate matter emissions by 75 percent.