Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $9.5 Million in Federal Recovery Act Funds for Transit Improvements in Colorado

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that $9.5 million in Recovery Act funds will go to Mesa County and the Cities of Fort Collins and Colorado Springs for transit improvements in Colorado.

           “By quickly moving federal dollars to the cities and towns across the country, we are putting people back to work now and ensuring that our nation will have reliable and efficient transit system for generations to come,” said Secretary LaHood.

Mesa County will receive $1.5 million to fund the construction of a new maintenance facility for Grand Valley Transit, including three maintenance bays, a wash bay, a lube bay, and storage areas. The City of Fort Collins will receive $3.4 million to fund four replacement minivans, six 40-foot and one 35-foot replacement buses, and one 35-foot expansion bus. Funds will also be used for implementation of a proximity card fare collection system and procurement of support equipment. The City of Colorado Springs will receive $4.5 million to fund eligible capital projects that support preventive maintenance, paratransit operations, and the capital cost of contracting for FY 2010.

Since President Obama signed ARRA into law on Feb. 17, 2009, 343 grants totaling $3.2 billion have been made available for transit improvements throughout the nation. 

“These funds are creating jobs now while investing in the future of our transit systems,” said Administrator Peter Rogoff of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  “The public’s demand for transit service continues to grow, and these dollars will help meet that need.”

Overall, the U.S. Department of Transportation has made $48.1 billion available for highway, road, shipyard, bridge and airport construction and repairs nationwide, including $8.4 billion for transit capital and operating improvements.  Currently, about 6,000 transportation projects across the country have been approved.