Stabenow, Levin Announce Grant for Three New Buses to Improve Service Along Washtenaw Avenue

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will receive $867,508 to purchase three new 40-foot expansion buses to help increase service along the Washtenaw Avenue corridor between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin announced today.

The grant from the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation is the final installment of a grant first announced in 2011 as part of the State of Good Repair Program. The program supports bus fleets and bus facilities and selects projects on a competitive basis.

"Today's announcement is great news for Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti commuters," said Stabenow. "Additional buses will help make sure that commuters have a reliable and efficient way to get to work and help visitors see and experience more of the community."

"Reliable transportation is essential to a local economy," Levin said. "This grant will help ensure Washtenaw County businesses and workers can depend on a reliable public transit system."

In October 2011, the Transportation Department selected Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's Re-Imagine Washtenaw project to receive $2,625,000 to increase transit service on Washtenaw Avenue. Selected on a competitive basis, Re-Imagine Washtenaw is a program jointly developed by the four jurisdictions in the corridor (the city of Ann Arbor, the city of Ypsilanti, Pittsfield Township and Ypsilanti Township), the transit operator, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Washtenaw County. As part of this effort, the project purchased clean diesel buses with hybrid-electric components to increase bus service in this corridor. Today's announcement for the purchase of three extension buses uses the remaining balance of the award.