FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 19, 2000
Contact:  Gail Taylor
Tel.:  (202) 366-4043
FTA 22-00

U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces $1 Million In Job Access Funds for Detroit

  U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced that the City of Detroit=s Department of Transportation will receive over $1 million in Job Access and Reverse Commute funds to help welfare recipients and others needing entry-level jobs take advantage of growing opportunities in a seven-county region.

APublic transit plays a vital role in helping people move from the dependence of welfare rolls to the security, pride and self-sufficiency of payrolls,@ said Secretary Slater.  AIt is a key element of the Clinton-Gore commitment to help people move from welfare to work.@

  The funds awarded today, in the amount of $1,165,727, will build upon the Job Access and Reverse Commute plan developed by the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), which includes expanded services to low income and welfare recipients living in down river and western Wayne and Washtenaw counties.  The plan adds specialized services for persons with disabilities and includes, among other things, supplemental transit service using compressed natural gas vehicles; a Mobility Manager Network to coordinate and streamline services; a guaranteed ride home service and a marketing program for the Commuter Choice tax benefit program.

  In total, $75 million in FY 2000 Job Access and Reverse Commute Program funds will help communities implement 218 transit projects in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

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Briefing Room