Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has received a federal grant award in the amount of $836,355 for new public transit vehicles to replace existing vehicles throughout the state.
“This is very good news for our transit system, and we will work with Vermont’s transit providers and finalize awards based on needs reflected in our fleet inventories for each region,” said AOT Public Transit Manager Ross MacDonald. “These vehicles will contribute to a reduction in overall fleet maintenance costs and help to meet our goal of maximizing our federal, state, and local resources.”
The award is from an annual competitive grant process, the Federal Transit Authority 5339 Competitive Grant Program. AOT applied for $1,917,500 for 13 transit vehicles called “cutaways” ($1,072,500) and 13 “sprinter buses” ($845,000). Both types of vehicles are smaller than standard city buses and are the most appropriate size vehicles to be used for fixed routes and demand response (“dial-a-ride”) service, especially in rural areas.
The new vehicles will replace the type of transit vehicles that account for approximately 70% of the state’s total transit fleet. There is a backlog of vehicles that need to be replaced, and these new transit vehicles will help to reduce that backlog.
Additionally, the new transit vehicles under this grant award are a valuable component of the COVID economic recovery effort, as the need for public transit services throughout the state will continue to increase as more businesses re-open.
AOT will purchase and receive vehicles that are ready for final inspection and can be placed into service upon delivery. The Agency will make final award decisions in September, and it is likely every transit provider will receive at least one vehicle from this award.
Source: Barre, Vt. – Vermont Agency of Transportation 8.11.2020