Public transportation services in Arizona’s less populated areas have been given a boost thanks to a grant awarded by the Federal Transit Administration.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has received $36.2 million from the federal CARES Act to help bus operators.
ADOT’s transit division will use the funds to aid 22 rural providers that have lost revenue due to the recent decline of passengers.
Some of these include tribal governments such as the Gila River and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian communities.
Steve Elliott is the deputy communications director with ADOT.
“It's clear that bus operators in rural areas, just like transit operators elsewhere, have seen drops in ridership and revenue due to the current public health situation," Elliott said. "This is one way the federal government and ADOT are helping those providers to get through these rough times.”
Of the $25 billion awarded for public transportation through the Federal Transit Administration, more than $2 billion is specifically aimed to help rural transit providers across the country.
