The U.S. Department of Transportation will give Iowa nearly $7 million to improve the safety and reliability of its bus system, Iowa’s DOT announced Friday.
The $6.6 million is part of a grant from the Federal Transit Administration and will be used to purchase new buses and bus facilities. The FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program is funded through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
“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 majority of the grant, $5.5 million, will be used to replace aging buses at the state level by the Iowa DOT. The purchases will improve transit service and reliability for both rural and urban transit. Another $1 million will be given to Dubuque’s public transit service to replace older buses with zero-emission vehicles while making other upgrades to the transit service like pedestrian shelters powered by solar energy, new ticket vending machines, and electronic information boards.
“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.”
The FTA received more than 280 applications totaling $1.8 billion in funding requests from 51 states and territories.