Buttigieg announces $187M in funding for bus rapid transit projects

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) would allocate $187 million in Capital Investment Grants (CIG) to four Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects Monday.

The projects, located in California, Utah, and Washington State, are nearing completion of the statutory and regulatory requirements for the projects, a condition of receiving the grant awards.

“Millions of Americans rely on public transit to get to work, services, and family – and communities need support to create more public transit options,” Buttigieg said. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to modernizing and expanding our public transit systems, and that includes support for these great projects.”

BRT is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, efficient services. The system may include dedicated lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms, and enhanced stations. With features similar to light rail or subway systems, BRTs are considered to be more reliable, more convenient, and faster than regular bus services.

“The local communities will greatly benefit from improved access and mobility to transit service, helping people reach vaccination sites, jobs, schools, and other important destinations,” said FTA Acting Administrator Nuria Fernandez.

The grant agreements include:
• $86.75 million for the West Valley Connector BRT project from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority – a 19-mile zero-emission BRT line connecting Pomona to Rancho Cucamonga;
• $3.2 million for the Ogden/Weber State University BRT project through the Utah Transit Authority – a 5.3 mile BRT of electric buses running from Ogden FrontRunner Station, through downtown, and along dedicated bus lanes through Weber State University to McKay-Dee Hospital;
• $37 million for the Swift Orange Line BRT project through Everett, Wash. Community Transit – an 11.3-mile BRT corridor between Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood and McCollum Park and Ride in Mill Creek.
• $59.9 million for the Madison Street BRT project from the city of Seattle Department of Transportation – a 2.3-mile east-west BRT line operation diesel-electric buses from downtown Seattle to the Madison Valley neighborhood