The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded a $28.22-million grant to the city of El Paso, Texas, for the Montana Rapid Transit Service (RTS) Corridor project, which aims to provide faster, more reliable transit service to important destinations in downtown, the El Paso International Airport and the Far East Transfer Center.
"This $28.22 million federal investment will provide residents along the Montana Avenue Corridor better access to jobs, educational opportunities and other services," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The Montana RTS Corridor project is a 16.8-mile Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service operating along the Montana Avenue Corridor. The total project cost is $49.2 million with $28.22 million in funding requested through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program.
"FTA is proud to join our partners in Texas to improve public transportation in El Paso," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "The Montana RTS Corridor project will provide fast and efficient service, improving mobility and travel times in this busy corridor."
Funding for the Montana RTS Corridor project is provided through the CIG Program, which provides funding for major transit infrastructure projects nationwide. Projects accepted into the program must go through a multi-year, multi-step process according to requirements in law to be eligible for consideration to receive program funds.
Since Jan. 20, 2017, FTA says it has advanced funding for 26 new CIG projects throughout the nation totaling approximately $7.6 billion in funding commitments. With this funding agreement, this administration has executed 23 CIG funding agreements totaling $4.6 billion in CIG funding, according to FTA.
