The city of Evansville has been awarded a $20 million Community Change Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, EPA officials announced today.

The awarded project will help Evansville transition to cleaner, lower-emission transportation systems. The project will promote public transit, shared rides, and physically active modes of travel – built around new “mobility hubs” across the city to provide convenience, accessibility, and ease of transition among both public and private transportation modes.

The project was developed under the leadership of city agencies, including the Evansville Climate Collaborative and Department of Transportation & Services, in partnership with the Evansville Metropoilitan Planning Organization, Welborn Baptist Foundation, Evansville Trails Coalition, and TriState Creation Care.

Evansville was one of 105 cities awarded, selected from more than 2,700 applicants.

“This transformative grant from the EPA marks a pivotal step forward for Evansville in building a cleaner, more accessible, and sustainable future,” said Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry. “By investing in innovative transportation systems and enhancing mobility across our community, we’re creating opportunities for all residents to thrive while addressing critical environmental challenges. 

“I’m incredibly proud of the leadership of Lauren Norvell, Director of the Evansville Climate Collaborative, and of the collaborative effort behind this project. I’m excited to see how these improvements will benefit our city and its residents for generations to come.”

Among the projects funded by the grant are:

• Developing 15 mobility hubs along existing METS public transit routes
• Expanding METS Micro Transit program to 16 EV / hybrid, ADA-accessible vans
• Improving 4.1 miles of city sidewalks for ADA accessibility, and for walking and biking
• Installing 62 publicly accessible EV charging stations at city facilities, public destinations and affordable housing units.
• Expanding the Upgrade bikeshare system to include 100 E-bikes, with 1,000 free annual memberships for city residents to utilize unlimited 30 min. rides.
• Installing solar panels on the METS administration building and bus terminal to further lower emissions of our public transit.
• Conducting a community-wide education and outreach campaign to increase utilization of cleaner transportation options and awareness of their impact on air quality.
• Conducting a free annual community event to promote EVs and other low emission vehicles.

Work on the project will begin March 17, 2025, per the grant agreement.

“This project will provide our residents better access to clean and active transportation options, which will in turn reduce transportation air emissions and improve our air quality,” said Lauren Norvell, Director of the Evansville Climate Collaborative.  “It is just one of the many collaborative projects we are engaged in to improve our climate resilience and quality of life here in Evansville.”