02-23-06
Contact: Paul Griffo
Telephone: (202) 366-4043
Buses in the hurricane-affected Gulf region will keep rolling now that a $47 million contract to pay for bus service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge has been extended, Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta announced today.
The extension will allow local officials to continue spending from the fund established for the area until June 30. The contract, first awarded last October, was set to expire March 17. The money for the service comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and is administered by the Federal Transit Administration.
Mineta said during a visit to the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority’s temporary facility in Baton Rouge last month he would sign an extension if given the request. “The extension gives residents and evacuees one less thing to worry about as they work to rebuild their lives,” Mineta said.
The federal funds will go to NORTA, which is responsible for providing the extended transit services in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
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