A $3.9 million grant will help fund the construction of a bus maintenance facility and the purchase of four transit buses in Mesa County.

The grant is part of $51 million in federal funds awarded to low- and zero-emission transit projects across Colorado.

In Mesa County, the award will include the purchase of four cutaway buses fueled by compressed natural gas.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will partly administer the grants from the Federal Transit Administration.

The largest grant — for $34.8 million — will help Summit County construct a transit charging and operations facility to support a zero-emissions bus fleet.

The funding will help construct new facilities in Mesa and Summit counties as well as purchase 27 vehicles.

“Colorado is home to some of the best rural and mountain transit services in the country, and CDOT is proud to serve as their partner in competing for federal funds to support fleet electrification and improved service for Coloradans,” said Shoshana Lew, executive director of CDOT.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was pleased the federal government is investing in smaller and rural transit systems in the state. “Those agencies play a critical role in providing sustainable, statewide mobility options for Coloradans, and their success competing for these grants demonstrates their national importance as well as providing some of the best rural transit in the country.”

A total of 55 transit agencies operate across Colorado, providing a total of more than 134 million passenger trips a year.