DART First State will get two grants as part of a $264 million U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration’ grant program. One grant calls for a bus and bike-only lane in Wilmington.
A total of 139 projects in 52 states and territories will receive funding from FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program.
DART, (Delaware Transit Corporation) will receive funding to build a new park and ride facility in Middletown to support existing and future bus service in the growing area that is seeing increasingly congested roads.
DART also received $2.45 million in funding to construct a bus-only lane in Wilmington that will be shared with bicycles and improve transit and bicycle access into the central business area, a release stated. The project also includes upgrades to bus stops.
The state transit agency has been hammered by riders over a recent decision to sharply reduce the number of buses going into Rodney Square, which had evolved into a transit hub.
Another transit hub is planned for a location near the Wilmington Train Station. The project was announced last year.
“Every day, working families across America rely on buses, and these grants will ensure that these vital services continue to be both safe and efficient,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The grants will fund projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment as well as projects to purchase, rehabilitate and construct bus-related facilities, such as buildings for bus storage and maintenance.
The FTA received applications for 453 eligible projects totaling approximately $2 billion in funding requests from a total of 53 States and territories.
