Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

During the previous four rounds, the U.S. DOT received more than 4,050 applications requesting more than $105.2 billion for transportation projects

Projects eligible include highways and bridges, public transportation, passenger and freight rail transportation, and marine port infrastructure investments.

Touts success of last four years in letter to U.S. DOT employees.

The agency’s aging Cedar University Station and bus terminal, built in 1956, will be razed to make way for the new station, which will improve pedestrian and bicycle access and be fully compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The federal funds are being leveraged with money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies.

The project, which received $8.5 million in 2010 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s TIGER program, created more than 80 jobs during the facility’s construction, according to the Ames Transit Agency.

The Historic Millwork District multimodal improvement project provides more transportation options and reconstructed the street networks to better serve a broad range of users, including drivers, public transportation, pedestrians, bicyclists, seniors, children and people with disabilities.

Approved a $53.4 billion appropriations bill funding investments in the nation's roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, and airports, as well as housing assistance for low-income families and veterans.

Projects will be evaluated on primary criteria that include safety, economic competitiveness, livability, environmental sustainability, state of repair and short-term job creation.

The new multimodal, regional facility is expected to be completed in October 2012.