Ten transit agencies throughout Washington state will receive $13 million in federal investments.
The average grant is worth $1.37 million. The agencies are located in Franklin and Benton Counties, Snohomish County, and the cities of Auburn, Everett, Olympia, Skagit, and Spokane. Two locations in Seattle will also receive funding.
“These grants are welcome news to commuters and will pave the way for jobs and economic growth,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said. “By connecting commuters and businesses throughout the region, we can increase opportunity while decreasing congestion on our roads. We need to keep commuters moving. Washingtonians are spending too much time on the road. These bus grants help get people to and from work faster. Annually, Washingtonians take more than 190 million trips on buses to get to work, access healthcare or attend school. It is critical we invest in transit services as commuters continue to turn to public transportation.”
Cantwell, along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), successfully worked to restore the Buses and Bus Facilities Program as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.
The program assists transit agencies with the purchase of buses, and equipment, the construction of bus-related facilities and the rehabilitation of buses.
The omnibus bill signed into law last month included $400 million for the program.