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 Transportation’s 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 District’s 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.