By Kelsey Proud
If you're a rider of public buses in St. Louis, you may see a newer vehicle pull up to your regular stop – in a couple of years.
Metro, which operates public transportation in the St. Louis region, has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, announced the grant via a press release Wednesday.
Carnahan says the grant funds will be matched by Metro and will go toward replacing 40-foot buses and paratransit vans that have "reached the end of their useful life" with vehicles that also meet EPA requirements.
The replacement vehicles are expected to be in service by mid-2014.