Washoe County fetches $16 million for Reno to Sparks transit service
Submitted by editor on Tue, 09/09/2014 - 10:33am
Nevada will receive $29.3 million in funding for northern and southern Silver State transportation projects, Sen. Harry Reid announced Tuesday.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County will receive $16 million to develop a rapid bus transit service connecting Reno and Sparks. This will construct the a 3.6 mile 4th Street/Prater Way RAPID Transit BRT project and may include upgraded electric buses and additional electric charging infrastructure, as well as construct accessible sidewalks and bike lanes.
“Investing in and further developing Nevada’s infrastructure will create jobs and promote economic growth, said Reid in a news release. “I am pleased southern and northern Nevada have been awarded more than $29 million in TIGER grant funding, which will allow us to update our transportation network.” said Reid. “We must be able to meet the demands of the ever-increasing amount of travelers coming to our state. I remain committed to improving transportation in Nevada and will continue to fight for federal funding to improve our roads, bridges, highways and other infrastructure needs.”
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will receive $13.3 million for Flamingo Corridor upgrades, which will implement improvements in shared bike and transit lanes, pedestrian lanes, and pavement along a 14 mile stretch of Flamingo Road. This project may also include transit station enhancements, shared/transit/bike lanes, bike parking, pedestrian amenities, pavement improvements, and transit signal prioritization.
Reid wrote two letters of support for these projects. He also spoke personally with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to tell him how much these funds would aid Nevada’s economic development. The funding is made possible by the Department of Transportation’s TIGER grant.
The TIGER grant program, provides opportunities for the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects. The TIGER program enables the United State Department of Transportation to select projects with exceptional benefits, explore ways to deliver projects faster and save on construction costs, and make investments in our Nation’s infrastructure that make communities more livable and sustainable.
