The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has awarded more than 500 paratransit vehicles to 113 transit providers through its Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program, helping to offer safe, reliable and accessible transportation options in communities large and small throughout the state. The vehicles will be delivered to public transportation providers, as well as nonprofit organizations serving seniors and individuals with disabilities.
"Transit is an essential service that allows our urban, suburban and rural communities to survive and thrive, providing transportation to people who might not have any other option," said IDOT Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. "More than ever, IDOT, under Gov. [JB] Pritzker, is getting communities the resources they need. These vehicles are going to benefit people immediately and far into the future."
For more than 20 years, IDOT notes the Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program has helped smaller transit agencies navigate the red tape of the public bidding process while ensuring their vehicles meet federal requirements and specifications, including those of the Americans with Disabilities Act. By purchasing in large volume, IDOT buys the vehicles at a lower cost for the public than if they were purchased individually or in smaller amounts.
Awards for this cycle were made on a competitive basis, with 50 public transportation providers (371 vehicles) and 63 nonprofit providers (137 vehicles) receiving 508 vehicles, purchased through $54 million in federal funds and $3.1 million in state funds.
Highlights of the list of vehicles:
- A total of 399 vehicles to replace ones that are aging or no longer in service, as well as 109 vehicles for expanding existing service. The vehicles are estimated to be manufactured and delivered between six months and two years.
- An award of 41 vehicles, the program's largest, to Rides Mass Transit District, which serves 18 counties in southern Illinois. IDOT notes the vehicles being replaced have been in service for almost 11 years on average, with more than 270,000 miles each.
- An additional 50 battery-electric paratransit vehicles will be purchased via a $12.3 million award from the Federal Transit Authority's Low or No Emission Vehicle Program.
- Eligible transit providers that were not part of this award cycle also can purchase vehicles at the price negotiated by IDOT with its vendors.
The Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program awards are in addition to investments being made through Gov. JB Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois, the largest capital program in state history at $44.8 billion and the only one that touches all modes of transportation, including roads and bridges, aviation, bike and pedestrian accommodations, waterways, rail and transit.
During the next six years, Rebuild Illinois is dedicating $4.5 billion to transit as part of a commitment to invest in all modes of transportation, including for the first time allocating a portion of the motor fuel tax collected in Cook and the collar counties for the Regional Transportation Authority of Northern Illinois, which includes the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace Suburban Bus.
The full list of vehicles awarded can be found on IDOT’s website.
