Iowa DOT News

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $6.6 Million to Revitalize Iowa’s Bus Infrastructure


This press release is being redistributed by the Iowa Department of Transportation for the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Aug. 11, 2020  – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will award $6.6 million in transit infrastructure funding to improve the safety and reliability of Iowa’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders.

“This Administration is committed to rebuilding our nation’s transportation infrastructure even through the current COVID-19 crisis, and this $464 million in federal grants will help improve the safety and reliability of transit bus service nationwide as the economy returns,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. 

The funding supports projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment, as well as projects to purchase, rehabilitate, and construct bus-related facilities.

“Millions of Americans rely on public transportation to access healthcare, jobs, and other vital services,” said FTA Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams. “During this unprecedented time, we need to ensure access and mobility for the riders who depend on our nation’s bus systems.”

Two projects in Iowa will receive a total of $6.6 million from FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program.

  • The Iowa Department of Transportation will receive $5.5 million to replace aging transit vehicles that have exceeded their useful life with new buses to improve the statewide public transit fleet of buses. The new buses will improve transit service and reliability for rural and urban transit systems throughout Iowa.
  • The City of Dubuque’s public transit service, The Jule, will receive $1 million to purchase zero-emission transit vehicles and make other upgrades, including new pedestrian shelters along bus routes to be powered by solar energy, new ticket vending machines, and electronic information boards with real-time bus schedule and route information. The project will help the city expand its transit fleet and improve transit service for residents.

Demand for FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program far exceeded available funds, as FTA received 282 applications totaling approximately $1.8 billion in funding requests, from 51 states and territories. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Federal public transportation law (49 USC § 5339(b)), as amended by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, authorizes FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program through FY2020.

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Contact: Angela Gates, Federal Transit Administration, (202) 366-3669

 

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