Public transportation funds will improve
air quality, reduce congestion
WASHINGTON D.C. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo announced
nearly one million dollars in assistance to Boise area mass
transit systems Wednesday (April 28).
The funding is provided by the Department of Transportations
Federal Transit Administration. The Ada County Highway District
will receive $400,179 for the Commuteride program, while the
Boise Valley Ride transit system will receive $543,140.
Funding for mass transportation systems is an important
component for the reduction of traffic congestion and improvements
in air quality, Crapo said. Rural states like
Idaho face special needs for mass transit, as well as rising
demand for these services.
Whether through expanded personal transportation choices,
cleaner air, or a number of other mass transit benefits, the
residents of Boise stand to gain from the resources provided
in these grants.
The Ada County Highway District will receive $400,179 for
the purchase of approximately nine additional replacement
vans and additional funds for the previous purchase of twenty-three
vans. The Ada County Highway Districts multi-county
Commuteride program currently operates thirty-five fifteen
passenger vans providing commuter services for people who
live in Ada, Canyon, Elmore, and Gem Counties.
The Valley Ride transit system will receive $543,140 for
preventative maintenance and other capital costs necessary
to run the service. Valley Ride provides a wide range of mass
transit options in Southwest Idaho including bus service,
carpools, and vanpools.
As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee,
one of the committees with jurisdiction over the highway reauthorization
bill, Crapo has been an advocate for Idaho transportation
needs.
Crapo championed a number of provisions that were included
in the Senate version of the recent highway bill, including
measures to increase safety for school children, make improvements
at railway-highway crossings, facilitate fire-breaks in highway
right of ways, enhance fish passage and public access in federal
lands, and also improve the rural density formula for transit
programs in rural states like Idaho.
Under the new formula, Idaho will see a 35.59% boost in transportation
funding over the next 6 years.