U.S. Department of Transportation (UDOT) Secretary Elaine Chao announced the first loan approved under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Rural Project Initiative (RPI) would be a $13 million to San Luis Obispo Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).
“This $13.08 million federal investment reflects the President’s continued emphasis on rural infrastructure and will provide residents in the San Luis Obispo area with better access to jobs, healthcare, and other services,” Chao said.
The San Luis Obispo RTA manages several local and express transit lines, as well as several paratransit and dial-a-ride services throughout the county. As the RTA’s current administration, operations, and bus maintenance facility can no longer serve the more than 90 vehicles in its fleet, the RTA will construct a new facility large enough to not only house the current fleet but also provide room for expansion.
The new facility will cover 28,650 square-feet on more than six acres of land – roughly three times the facilities’ current space.
USDOT’s RPI program is designed to assist rural communities overcome financial barriers that hinder their ability to invest in infrastructure. Under the program, eligible communities, or government agencies, can get a loan of up to 49 percent of an eligible project’s cost at half the prevailing U.S. Treasury rate, as well as pay for the loan advisor fee, while funding lasts.