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Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson welcomed plans announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that will send nearly $10 million to the Omaha area for transit improvement as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
“These funds will help keep the people of Omaha moving,” said Senator Nelson. “With this grant, Omaha transit authorities will update aging equipment and improve Omaha area mass transit for the thousands of people who depend on it every day.”
The funding will go to Omaha Metro Area Transit (MAT), which provides transit services in Bellevue, Papillion and La Vista in Sarpy County, Omaha and Ralson in Douglas County, and Council Bluffs, IA. The majority of funding will go toward the purchase of 30 new buses for the system and to overhaul engines/transmissions on 37 buses. Funds will also be used for bus support equipment including radios, fareboxes, hard drives for video storage, and bus shelters.
“MAT is very appreciative of the receipt of the ARRA funding,” said Curt Simon, Executive Director of MAT. “This funding will largely be used to accelerate replacement of aging buses. In fact, 94% of the ARRA funding is being used to replace fleet that has reached its useful life and remanufacture engines and transmissions for other buses in the fleet in order to assure their reliability.”
Senator Nelson played a key role in the passage of the $787 billion stimulus bill. He worked with a bipartisan group of nearly 20 Senators to better focus The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on tax cuts for the middle class and job creation for millions of Americans. Senator Nelson led the group through the initial bill line by line, dollar by dollar, to reduce spending and cut out $108 billion of inefficient or less-stimulative spending. The bipartisan group helped the improved bill win congressional approval. President Obama signed it into law February 17, 2009.
Senator Nelson is posting information about the release of stimulus finds on his website as it becomes available. Visit http://bennelson.senate.gov/issues/stimulus/index.cfm for more information.
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