MEDIA RELEASE

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced transit providers across the nation will receive a share of $928.5 million in federal funds for more than 300 public transportation projects in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

Hawaii has been awarded nearly $16 million, including $1.2 million to replace Hele-On vehicles on the Big Island.

The money will put people to work renovating and building much needed transit facilities, manufacturing new clean-fuel buses, and helping communities plan responsibly for their future transit needs. He was joined in making the announcement by Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff.

“Investing in America’s transit systems, rails, roads, ports, and airports will generate tens of thousands of construction-related jobs and put more money in the pockets of working Americans,” LaHood said. “But we must do more. Congress needs to pass the American Jobs Act so we can continue to invest in critically needed projects like these, to repair and rebuild our nation’s transportation system.”

The grants announced today, made available through the Federal Transit Administration’s fiscal year 2011 Alternatives Analysis, Bus Livability, and State of Good Repair Programs, will go toward replacing or refurbishing aging buses, building or improving bus terminals, garages, and other transit facilities, installing bus-related equipment, and conducting studies to help communities select the best transit options to meet future transportation needs.

“These grant funds will make sure that bus service in our communities remains reliable and desirable while putting thousands of Americans to work at the same time,” Rogoff said. “By passing the American Jobs Act, Congress can accelerate these efforts and give the American people the opportunity to keep more of their paycheck in their wallet rather than hand it over at the gas pump.”

The grant selection process was highly competitive, and FTA reviewed 839 project applications representing $4.9 billion in funding requests from transit providers across the country for the Fiscal Year 2011 discretionary grants.

The full list of selected projects can be found at http://fta.dot.gov/grants/13094.html