U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow announced 11 grants for Michigan transportation agencies to purchase buses, rehabilitate facilities and study new public transit options. The projects were selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation on a competitive basis.
“Many families depend upon public transportation to shop and to get to class or to work,” said Stabenow. “In these tough economic times and with gas prices taking more of a bite out of family budgets, these projects will go a long way in making transportation more affordable.”
Local grants include:
Central Woodward Corridor Alternatives Analysis – $2 million
The study will evaluate a possible 7.5-mile extension of the planned Woodward Light Rail Transit, extending north from Eight Mile Road in Wayne County to Maple Road (Fifteen Mile Road) in downtown Birmingham.
DDOT Vehicle Replacement – $6 million
The City of Detroit Department of Transportation will replace vehicles in its fleet that have met their useful lives, through the FY 2011 State of Good Repair Program.
SMART Hybrid Bus Replacement – $5 million
SMART will replace buses in its fleet that have met their useful lives with hybrid biodiesel/electric buses. These buses will modernize the bus fleet and contribute to healthier communities while improving mobility and ensuring an accessible, integrated, and efficient transportation system.
AATA’s Ann Arbor Connector study – $1.2 million
The study will examine transit alternatives in the 8.5-mile corridor extending from northeast Ann Arbor through the University of Michigan (UM) North and Central Campus, through the UM South Campus to Briarwood Mall near I-94. The signature corridors are intended to improve access to major activity centers while complimenting Ann Arbor’s goals to be a walkable and livable community. The study area also provides connectivity between the UM campuses, with downtown Ann Arbor, the traditional civic, economic, and cultural heart of the community, located just west of the Central Campus.
AATA’s Re-Imagine Washtenaw study and Hybrid bus purchase – $2.6 million
Re-Imagine Washtenaw is a program jointly developed by the four jurisdictions to increase transit service frequency and development along the Washtenaw Avenue Corridor. As part of this larger effort, this project will purchase clean diesel buses with hybrid-electric components to increase bus service in this corridor.