07-13-04
Contact: Melissa Sabatine
Telephone: (202) 366-4043
Residents throughout Maryland will benefit from improved bus services as a result of a $6.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, announced today by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.
“Today’s announcement means more options for Maryland commuters,” said Secretary Mineta. “President Bush is committed to connecting workers to jobs and making the kind of investment that will keep commuters and the economy moving.”
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will use the $6,756,771 grant to purchase ten 40-foot replacement buses, six 30-foot replacement vehicles, eight small replacement buses, one small expansion bus and one trolley bus. MTA will purchase the vehicles for the following communities: Frederick, Garrett, Calvert, Dorchester, Howard, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s and Worcester counties, Annapolis and Ocean City.
Intense use of equipment and increased demand for service requires regular vehicle replacement and expansion and adequate support facilities to provide reliable service and keep operating costs at a minimum. As a Maryland State Department of Transportation modal agency, the MTA makes statewide transit vehicle purchases for local jurisdictions in rural and small urban areas and provides funding for equipment and facilities in those areas.
|
