The U.S. Department of Transportation Monday announced $787 million in grants to 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for 255 projects that will upgrade or replace mass transit infrastructure.
The demand was high for the Federal Transit Administration’s fiscal 2012 “state of good repair and bus livability grants,”” as federal authorities received 836 project applications totaling $4 billion in requests.
The competitive program allows state and local governments to procure grants for a variety of mass transit projects, including many that are financed with bonds as well.
Eligible projects include bus purchases and construction or improvements of bus maintenance and administrative facilities, transfer facilities, bus malls, transportation centers, intermodal terminals, park-and-ride stations, and passenger amenities such as passenger shelters and bus-stop signs,
“President Obama’s support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country repairing and upgrading our nation’s public transit systems,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “By investing in the transit infrastructure people depend on to get where we need to go each day, we will keep our economy moving forward well into the future.”
Some of the largest grants include a $76 million allocation to New Jersey Transit to upgrade its bus fleet, and $40 million to the Maryland Department of Transportation to replace an aging bus facility. The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation in Detroit,, will get $30 million for a slew of bus system upgrades, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, will get more than $11 million to replace and rehabilitate bus facilities.
“Since day one, this administration has been focused on addressing the maintenance backlog of our nation’s transit systems, and this is another downpayment on that effort,” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. “For millions of Americans, these investments mean that they may more reliably and safely get to work to earn a paycheck or get to daycare to pick up their children on time, or simply have new choices to enjoy the communities in which they live.”
This was the third round of funding under the grant program. In fiscal years 2010 and 2011, the FTA awarded more than $1.8 billion in grants for primarily bus-related projects.
Those eligible to apply for the grants in 2012 were states and local governments, as well as “subrecipients” such as public agencies, private companies engaged in public transportation, and private non-profit organizations. The federal share of costs is 80% of the net capital project cost, according to the FTA, unless the applicant requests a smaller amount.
