Manatee County Area Transit to receive $15.9 million grant under federal ‘State of Good Repair’ program

  • Oct 4, 2010

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Oct. 4, 2010) – U.S. Transportation officials today announced Manatee County is among the 152 projects around the country to receive a total of $775 million under the Federal Transit Administration’s State of Good Repair program.

Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) will receive $15.9 million for a new Transit Administration/Fleet Maintenance Facility. MCAT Manager Ralf Heseler said the project has been under discussion for several years and is needed to appropriately manage fleet investments and accommodate a growing community. It is the largest grant MCAT has received in at least 10 years. 


“These grant dollars will enable MCAT the ability to provide the resources that will enable the transit system to grow with the County for decades to come,” Heseler said. “Additionally, it will provide the Fleet Division the space to keep pace with our operational needs. Along with that, we’ll be better positioned to be a regional transportation leader in terms of overall transportation.”


The new MCAT building is planned to meet “green building certification” criteria, another point that helped the project meet all of the grant application requirements.


U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Oct. 4 the combined $776 million for urban and rural transit providers in 45 states and the District of Columbia to help bring buses, bus facilities and related equipment into a state of good repair. The Department of Transportation awarded grant dollars to 152 projects from among 400 grant applications nationwide.


“Safety is our highest priority, and it goes hand-in-hand with making sure our transit systems are in the best working condition possible,” DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “The millions of people who depend on transit each day to get to work, to school or to the doctor expect a safe and comfortable ride.”


For more information, call Heseler at (941) 747-8621. For more information on Manatee County Area Transit, visit www.mymanatee.org/mcat