The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams joined officials in Colorado to highlight $18 million in federal grants statewide to improve the safety and reliability of Colorado transit bus systems and enhance mobility for riders. The grants are part of $423 million in transit infrastructure grants nationwide announced last week by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. Six projects in Colorado will receive a total of $18 million from FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program.
"Public bus systems throughout the country provide millions of Americans access to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores and other vital services," said Secretary Chao.
From this grant program, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the city of Colorado Springs will receive funding for six public transportation projects within the state, including the purchase of new buses, transit vehicles and related equipment and construction of a bus maintenance facility.
"I am proud to join our partners in Colorado to announce funding that will improve mobility and ensure safe access to public transportation for thousands of residents in the state who travel on these bus systems every day," said Acting Administrator Williams.
Colorado projects selected to receive funding are as follows:
The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $12 million on behalf of Winter Park Lift in Colorado’s Grand County to build a maintenance facility for its bus fleet. The infrastructure investment will help the three-year-old transit system house administrative offices and dispatching services, with additional space for future new buses and electric charging facilities.
The city of Colorado Springs, Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT), will receive $1.6 million to purchase battery-electric buses and charging stations to expand transit service on one of its busiest routes. The buses will allow MMT to accommodate growing ridership and provide a responsive transit service for people accessing jobs, school and community services.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $199,500 on behalf of Laradon Hall Society for Exceptional Children and Adults in Denver to replace transit vans that transport people with disabilities to and from campus. The vehicles will replace vans that have exceeded their useful life, improving safety and reliability.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $1.8 million on behalf of the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority to replace buses that have exceeded their useful life. The replacement buses will enhance the rural transit agency’s network throughout the Roaring Fork Valley of Central Colorado and help accommodate growing ridership.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $2 million on behalf of the town of Breckenridge to replace diesel buses that have exceeded their useful life with battery-electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. The fleet helps Breckenridge, home to one of Colorado’s largest ski resorts, provide access to jobs, services and tourist sites.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $400,000 on behalf of Snowmass Village in rural Pitkin County to replace buses that have exceeded their useful life. The replacement vehicles will reduce maintenance costs and improve reliability for the Snowmass Village Shuttle, which provides residents access to jobs and services.
Demand for FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program far exceeded available funds, as FTA received applications for 318 eligible projects totaling approximately $1.9 billion in funding requests, from a total of 270 applicants in 43 states and territories. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
