The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded the Spokane Transit Authority a $53 million grant through its Small Starts grant program.
Funds will be used to complete the Central City Line Bus Rapid Transit service and will go toward the purchase of 10 low-emission electric buses.
The new service is designed to support the city’s projected population and job growth. Once completed, the line will connect Spokane Community College to the Browne’s Addition neighborhood. There also will be connections to the University District, Gonzaga University and downtown.
The line will offer weekend service and longer weekday operating hours.
“The Central City Line will connect residents, students and commuters with some of the city’s most important neighborhoods — providing clean, efficient, and reliable transit service to families throughout Spokane and the surrounding area — and I’m glad to see these federal investments flow to Eastern Washington,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said. “These are exactly the types of forward-thinking proposals the CIG (Conservation Innovation Grants) program is meant to support, and I will continue working to ensure transportation and infrastructure priorities for families east of the Cascades remain top of mind in the other Washington.”
Once completed, the line is projected to generate more than $175 million in economic impact.