Nearly $100M In Federal Funding Headed Towards Port Authority's BRT Project Designed To Create Dedicated Bus Lanes
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Nearly $100 million is headed to the Port Authority for the new bus rapid transit service.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. Department of Transportation is committing $99.95 million to the Port Authority.
In the tweet, the president says the money will be used to "connect Pittsburghers to their two largest commercial employment centers through safe, quick transit service."
"Great things coming to a great State," he concluded the tweet with.
The project is designed to create dedicated bus lanes that are designed to move a large number of people.
These BRT buses "will run faster and more reliably without adding to congestion," Port Authority says.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald issued the following statement, thanking several local politicians:
"We were delighted to get the news about the funding decision and thank President Trump for the financial support of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. We are also lucky that Congressman Doyle, the 'Dean of the Delegation' has such vision and clout and has championed this project from the very beginning. He, along with Congressman Lamb who is a member of the Transportation Committee, have been vocal advocates for this important connection since it was first envisioned.
"We are extremely fortunate in this community to have strong bipartisan support of impactful projects like this from Senator Casey, Senator Toomey, Congressman Kelly and Congressman Reschenthaler. We thank all of them for their partnership and assistance in securing this important funding."
Mike Doyle's statement reads in full:
"I've been working hard with the Port Authority of Allegheny County to improve public transit in Pittsburgh. We need more reliable, convenient transit service to ensure all of our communities thrive. This project will be transformative for our city, connecting downtown Pittsburgh with fast-growing areas like Oakland and the East End.
"I have worked in support of the Port Authority's federal funding request - and I'm very pleased that the Federal Transit Administration has recognized the merit of this initiative and its importance to our region. This project will connect some of the fastest-growing parts of our city and provide a fast, efficient way for workers to commute.
"I will continue working in Congress to provide affordable transit alternatives for our city so that it can continue to grow."
The president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce released a statement highlighting the importance of transportation funding for region's mobility. It reads in full:
"The Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-East End Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an important project and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference, applauds the work of our local and federal elected officials, including the President, our congressional delegation and Senators Casey and Toomey, for advancing this important project. A special thank you to Congressman Doyle for his leadership and tireless efforts in Washington and to County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Mayor Bill Peduto and Port Authority of Allegheny County CEO Katharine Kelleman for their local leadership. The BRT will increase mobility between key commercial and employment centers, create jobs and enhance our region's vitality. This project's selection speaks not only to its value, but also the continued progress in our region on smart future focused investments. As our region progresses into economic recovery in this time of Covid-19, transportation projects, such as the BRT, are vital to our recovery by creating jobs and increasing connectivity.
"The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with our partners locally and at the federal level to continue to advocate for increased and improved transportation infrastructure across our region."
