The City Council authorized the city manager to submit a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Bus Facilities Competitive Program grant application to support three ZIP Transit projects: installing 60 bus shelters and benches citywide, procuring real‑time bus‑tracking software, and replacing the transit headquarters’ generator that supports the CNG plant and evacuation operations.

Demi from the transit team told the council the three projects total $2,940,000. "Eighty percent of the total cost is covered by the FTA if we were awarded this grant, and then the city would be responsible for the remaining 20 percent, which is $588,000," Demi said. Council and staff then confirmed they had received a commitment from TxDOT to provide transportation development credits to cover the local share, which staff said would mean no direct cost to the city if the grant is awarded.

Nut graf: Staff and ZIP Transit leadership told the council the shelters and real‑time tracking are expected to improve rider experience and ridership, and the generator replacement is necessary to keep transit operations running during disasters and to power the CNG systems that feed the fleet.

Claudia San Miguel, general manager of Beaumont ZIP, said the generator is powerful enough to sustain the facility during outages and that the software and shelters should increase visibility and use of transit. "This is not just like any generator. This is gonna power our CNG plan," San Miguel said.

The council moved and approved the resolution to submit the grant application; staff said the deadline for the grant submittal was mid‑July and that TxDOT had provided a formal commitment letter to cover the local match via transportation development credits.

Ending: If the FTA awards the grant, staff will move forward with procurement and installation; if not awarded, the city will not incur the local share because of the TxDOT commitment, staff said.