FTA 03-04
Contact: Velvet Snow
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Tel.: (202) 366-4043

Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces $4 Million for Expanded Bus Service and Transit Enhancements for Virginia

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced that $4 million in bus and transit grants will be awarded in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The grants will add new bus services and more parking for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) users.

“Every day more and more Virginians do their part to keep the economy moving when they get up and catch a train or bus to work,” said Secretary Mineta.  “Today we do our part by making the kind of investment that will keep commuters and the economy moving.”

Representative Tom Davis (VA-11th) added, “These federal funds will help alleviate the traffic congestion that plagues Northern Virginia families everyday.”

A $1,967,165 grant to the Potomac & Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) will be used to complete the design for parking improvements at the Virginia Railway Express Burke Center Commuter Rail Station in Burke, VA. The station will have an additional 1,100 parking spaces. Previous funding for the Burke Center station brings FTA’s total investment to $2,485,039 for this project.

Another grant for $2,065,725 will be used for the purchase of eight new transit coaches for PRTC’s OmniRide commuter bus service. Seven vehicles will replace existing OmniRide buses and one vehicle will be used to expand OmniRide service. The total FTA commitment for this project is $3,865,725. In Fiscal Year 2003, FTA made grants under the Capital Investment Program for Buses and Bus Facilities totaling $517,387,996, of which $9,589,839 was for projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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Briefing Room