SYCAMORE – The city of DeKalb and DeKalb County transit programs were awarded over $3.6 million in state grants to go to the creation of a new transit facility in DeKalb and expanded rural transportation services in the county.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that DeKalb County and the City of DeKalb are among 31 downstate transit providers awarded grants from the Rebuild Illinois capital program, according to a news release from State Representative Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore.
“Safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is essential in making our local communities attractive to job creators and accessible for families to get to work, school and recreational activities,” Rep. Keicher said. “I am excited to see the DeKalb area reap the benefits of the our most significant bipartisan achievement in recent years, the Rebuild Illinois capital program, which I voted for and helped to pass.”
The Rebuild Illinois grant awards announced by IDOT today include:
• $361,839.20 to DeKalb County to purchase two medium-duty paratransit buses to assist in expansion of rural transit services, and one medium-duty paratransit bus to replace one that was totaled in an accident; upgraded ventilation/HVAC systems in facilities that are more energy efficient and cost effective; upgraded bus surveillance system for safety and security of drivers and passengers; and upgraded radio transmitter, as the current system is outdated and needs repair.
• $5,000,000 to the City of DeKalb to procure architectural, engineering, and construction of a Transit Maintenance, Operations, and Transfer Facility for the DeKalb Urbanized Area. The City of DeKalb and the DeKalb Urbanized Area currently do not have a centralized location for transit assets.
The City estimates the size of the transit facility to be about 100,000 square feet. This would provide ample room for existing fleet and personnel while also considering future needs.
For questions or more information, call Representative Keicher’s office at 815-748-3494.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
Be First to Comment