Federal Transit Administration announced today the winners of FY 2018 Section 5339 competitive bus and bus facility investment. The Missouri Department of Transportation will receive funding to purchase transit buses and vans for rural public transportation, as well as technological upgrades for new and existing vehicles. The project will improve the safety and reliability of rural transit in the state. The grant award was $5,630,565.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will award $366.2 million in grants to improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders. A total of 107 projects in 50 states and territories will receive funding from FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program.
This is the second award to MoDOT for vehicle replacement. In April of this year, Missouri recipients were awarded more than $8 million in federal funding for bus and 5311 vehicle replacements. The City of St. Joseph, MO received $4.725 million to replace vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. MoDOT was awarded $3.6 million for the replacement of vehicles in the 5311 program. This will replace from 80-100 vehicles.
“Considering the state of funding for replacement vehicles falls significantly shorter than demand, we are happy to see MoDOT among those receiving 5339 funding this year for bus replacement. Realistically we know that rarely does the amount available meet the demand. However, the needs in our communities is much greater than the available funds and this gap continues to widen rather than diminish,” said Kim Cella, MPTA Executive Director.
Full list here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/fiscal-year-2018-bus-and-bus-facilities-projects …