Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff was in Wilder, Vt. to take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation and expansion of Advance Transit's Bus Maintenance/Administrative Facility, which will be built with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) as well as funds from other sources.

"This project will create jobs in the Upper Valley Region now, while providing the community with a state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly facility," said Rogoff. "This is precisely what President Obama intended for the Recovery Act... putting people to work immediately on projects that improve the quality of life for the entire community."

The project includes the expansion of the bus storage facility for Advance Transit's fleet of 30 buses and ADA vans, expanded maintenance areas and rehabilitation of the existing administrative offices. In addition, several energy enhancements, such as solar collectors, rainwater re-use, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems will be implemented.

Advance Transit has received $3.3 million in federal transit funds for the project, including an ARRA grant of $1.5 million. When complete, the facility will serve as a model for others, being constructed as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - Silver facility. The new facility will increase system efficiency and help reduce the Upper Valley's carbon footprint.