The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently awarded transit districts statewide more than $28.5 million in Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) grants to support bus service, maintain and purchase vehicles, build bus charging stations and other services.
The agency awarded $13.5 million in STIF Discretionary Awards, $10.8 million in STIF Intercommunity Award, and $4.2 million FTA Section 5311(f) Intercity Bus Program Awards.
ODOT received 75 applications requesting $35.5 million.
The largest awards were:
- The Lane Transit District received $2.1 million for vehicle purchases.
- The Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments received $1.7 million for the OSU and LBCC Mobility Hub.
- Gilliam County received $1.7 million for the Bus Barn.
- Tri-Met received $1.7 for vehicle purchases.
- The Hood River County Transportation District received $1.5 million for the Columbia Gorge Express.
- The Tillamook County Transportation District received $963,200 for Coastliner Expansion Services.
- The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation received $803,796 for the Hermiston to Boardman Connector.
- The City of Albany received $720,000 for bus replacement.
The Oregon Transportation Commission approved the project recommendations at its May meeting. The Public Transportation Advisory Committee considered numerous factors when making its recommendations to the commission, including input from transit districts, public transportation key audiences, and area commissions on transportation.