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via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 10/2/12
Governor Deval Patrick and MassDOT announced today that MassDOT will award $13.2 million to 10 Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) to make needed capital investments including new bus purchases and facility repairs.
The funds are available as part of the Obama Administration's "We Can't Wait" initiative that allows states to repurpose unused federal transportation earmarks (from 2003 to 2006) for use on highway and transit projects that are able to obligate the funds by the end of the year.
Projects selected represent RTAs across the Commonwealth and are focused on state of good repair including bus replacements along with customer service improvements, such as Real-time customer information signs for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, above, and major projects already underway such as the Gallagher Terminal Garage in Lowell.
"The Obama Administration has made a smart decision to put unspent dollars into necessary projects that create jobs," said Governor Deval Patrick. "These projects reflect our commitment to improve public transportation for residents across the Commonwealth."
The repurposed earmark funds are 100% federal funding, require no state match and must be used for capital needs. MassDOT selected the 11 projects from a list of 28 project requests totaling $45.6 million from the state's 15 RTAs.
The 11 projects were selected based on the likelihood of the individual RTA's ability to obligate funds by the end of December and spend all funds in the near-term. The funded project list includes the following:
- Berkshire RTA- Four 14-passenger vans w/ fare boxes, $420,000
- Berkshire RTA- Maintenance facility roof, $250,000
- Brockton Area Transit- Three 35' Hybrid transit buses and two 35' diesel transit buses, $2.6 million
- Cape Ann Transportation Authority- Maintenance facility roof, $408,179
- Greater Attleboro-Taunton RTA- Two 30' transit buses, $740,000
- Lowell RTA- Gallagher Terminal parking garage replacement, $2.5 million
- Martha's Vineyard RTA- Three 27' buses and one 30' bus, $1,085,000
- Montachusett RTA- Wachusett Commuter Rail Extension, $3.6 million
- Nantucket RTA- Four 25' transit buses, $749,000
- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority- Real-time customer information signs, $450,000
- Southeastern Regional Transit Authority- Parking deck resurface, fireproofing replacement, $370,000
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