FALLS CHURCH, VA – The City of Falls Church, Va., acquired 12 new 2012-MY Chevrolet Silverado hybrid pickup trucks, all financed via a grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. The Virginia Department of Transportation awarded the City the grant.

The City’s new hybrid pickups will replace older fleet vehicles used by the departments of Public Works, Public Utilities, Recreation and Parks, and the City's Urban Forestry Division.

“During these tight budgetary times, we are exceedingly grateful that we can improve our aging fleet both environmentally and functionally through these 12 pickup trucks,” said Bill Hicks, Director of Public Works. “Certainly, this would not be possible at this time without these grant funds.”

The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration run the CMAQ Improvement Program. CMAQ provides funds for transportation projects that reduce emissions from mobile sources, such as cars, trucks, and equipment, in areas that currently don’t meet federal air quality health standards for ozone, microscopic particles, or carbon monoxide.