Kaptur: Ottawa County To Buy New Buses Under Federal Transit Grant
Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) today joined the Department of Transportation to announce that the Ottawa County Transportation Agency (OCTA) will receive part of an award of $6,691,634 made to the Ohio Department of Transportation. The competitive grant was awarded by the Federal Transit Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation.
The award allows the public transportation systems in rural communities, including Ottawa County, to purchase replacement vehicles. Ottawa County is one of thirty-five counties in Ohio to qualify for a share of these funds, and county officials will determine where the funds will be directed within its jurisdiction. Kaptur, a supporter of OCTA and its efforts throughout the region, intends to press the Ohio Department of Transportation to ensure that Ottawa County receives its fair share of the statewide award to update its fleet.”
“The role of public transportation is often associated with large cities, but it’s even more important to smaller, more rural communities, including those in Ottawa County,” said Kaptur. “These funds are an investment in a good quality of life and a better standard of living.”
From the Department of Transportation announcement: “The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program (49 U.S.C. 5339) makes federal resources available to states and directs recipients to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities including technological changes or innovations to modify low or no emission vehicles or facilities. Funding is provided through formula allocations and competitive grants. A sub-program provides competitive grants for bus and bus facility projects that support low and zero-emission vehicles.”
Kaptur is a senior member the House Appropriations Committee, which funds and has oversight responsibilities for the Department of Transportation.
For more information:
Background on the Department of Transportation grant: https://grants.ost.dot.gov/public/ViewMessage.cfm?MsgID=2urxpc5y9u
Background on the Ottawa County Transportation Agency (OCTA): https://www.octapublictransit.org/
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