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DOT has announced the release of $776 million in 2011 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding under the State of Good Repair Initiative. This program, developed to shore up repair and maintenance backlogs within the nation’s transit systems, is all part of “helping provide better transportation options for all Americans,” according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
LaHood referenced the early July delivery of this grant funding as an investment that “make[s] sure that seniors and the disabled in cities and rural communities across America continue to have equal access to safe public transportation …. This is how we connect people to their communities and improve livability and sustainability.”
For example, Massachusetts DOT will receive $72.8 million to restore 50 miles of rail track and infrastructure between Springfield and East Northfield, MA. This improvement will cut almost 30 minutes from the travel time of Amtrak’s Vermonter line, which connects St. Albans, VT, and Washington, DC.
“These dollars are delivering more than 200 new jobs along with the purchase of 50 miles of American-made steel rails,” LaHood said. “Coupled with previous federal investments along the Vermonter line, these improvements will bring almost a one hour reduction in travel time for passengers traveling in Vermont and Massachusetts.”
As part of this initiative, FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff recently examined aging infrastructure in Philadelphia and announced a $3.4 million State of Good Repair grant for paratransit vehicles in Toledo, OH.
During his July 11 visit to Philadelphia, Rogoff observed Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority facilities in significant need of infrastructure improvements. For example, City Hall Station in Philadelphia has undergone no major renovations since opening in 1928 and is experiencing tunnel leaks, deteriorating ceilings, crumbling platforms, and accessibility issues; a power substation at Jenkintown continues to operate with outdated circuits and electrical equipment from the 1930s; and a more than century-old bridge on the Norristown High Speed Line has extensive corrosion of steel components.
The grant to the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) will cover replacement of 43 paratransit buses. According to LaHood, most of the 56 vehicles currently in the paratransit fleet have outlived their expected service life, and the new ones will be safer and more fuel-efficient, able to carry as many as 12 people up to four wheelchairs. Five of the new vehicles will provide call-a-ride service to customers in the suburbs, including non-drivers as well as seniors and persons with disabilities.
LaHood, in noting that paratransit is the fastest-growing segment of TARTA’s service, then said: “Access to paratransit—available by appointment and on-demand—is crucial to the ability of transit-dependent Americans to get around …. If you are elderly or disabled and can’t use a standard bus, paratransit service is your lifeline to jobs, education, medical care, groceries, and just about everywhere you need or want to go.”
He added: “As gas prices fluctuate unpredictably, other transit agencies across the U.S. are experiencing similar hikes in ridership. And the FTA’s State of Good Repair grants are helping them maintain their fleets to meet this increased demand.”
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FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff, second from right, participates in examining a SEPTA rail bridge dating to 1906, part of his review of aging infrastructure. SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey is second from left. |
Rogoff presents $3.4 million in federal State of Good Repair funds to TARTA for the purchase of 43 paratransit vehicles. | |
