Transit authority gets $11M grant

Listen to this article

The Federal Transit Administration has given an $11 million grant to the Greenville Transit Authority to assist in the construction of a new maintenance facility. Greenville Transit Authority is the only grant recipient from South Carolina.

The grant is a portion of the $366 million in grants the Federal Transit Authority awarded this week through its Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program, which funds the replacement, rehabilitation and purchase of new buses and the construction of bus-related facilities, according to a news release. A total of 107 projects in 50 states will receive a share of the funding, with project awards ranging from $96,000 to $11 million.

“This grant will allow Greenlink to accomplish a major goal in the Transit Development Plan. A new maintenance facility is a key component to increased frequency and better transit service for our growing workforce,” said Addy Matney, chairwoman of the Greenville Transit Authority Board of Directors, in the release.

The program provides funding, on a competitive basis, to fixed route bus operators, and to states and local governmental authorities that operate fixed route bus service. Greenlink staff submitted the grant application to fund the construction of a new maintenance facility in August. Greenville Transit Authority currently owns a 35-year-old facility at 154 Augusta St., which lacks the capacity for Greenlink to grow its current fleet, the release said. A new maintenance facility was identified as a vital capital investment needed for improved service in both the 2017 Comprehensive Operations Analysis and the 2020-2024 Transit Development Plan, which was released in April.