Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Survey IDs more than $15 billion in public transportation capital projects that can be started in 90 days. It is estimated that this investment in public transportation would support and create more than 450,000 jobs.

Since President Obama signed ARRA into law on Feb. 17, 2009, grants totaling more than $5.7 billion have been made available for transit improvements throughout the nation.

As part of the ongoing effort to accelerate spending, Secretary LaHood created a review team to expedite the application process for the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program, which will enable the U.S. Department of Transportation to announce the grants in January 2010 - one full month ahead of the statutory deadline.

The proposal enables the authority to address a significant budget deficit and avoid making drastic cuts in service to balance its Fiscal Year 2010 budget. MARTA, in turn, will reallocate $25 million of the authority's capital dollars to fund transit-related projects in the MARTA service area.

The federal dollars announced Wednesday will be used to purchase new equipment, including streetcars, buses, ferries, paratransit vans, clean fuel vehicles and railcars, as well as pay for the construction of new transit facilities, bus shelters, repair and maintenance of transit systems and safety and security equipment.

Atlanta agency, in turn, will reallocate $25 million of its capital dollars to fund transit-related projects in its service area.

Gave go-ahead for list of shovel-ready construction projects likely to qualify for $8 billion in federal stimulus funding.

An interactive map allows residents to view projects in their immediate area. In addition, there’s a section where the public can provide comments, sign up to receive e-mail updates or follow projects on Twitter and Facebook.

Transit program is receiving $1.26 million in stimulus funding, most of which will be spent to procure three new buses at a cost of about $332,000 each, for a total of $996,000.

The 2,000th project is a $68 million project in Kalamazoo County, Mich., which involves the widening of I-94 from two lanes both east and westbound to three lanes in each direction. The project will improve safety and ease congestion by providing a more efficient interchange.