Lawrence’s transit system is getting another $1 million in federal stimulus funds to help replace vehicles in its aging bus fleet.
The Kansas Department of Transportation announced the grant Thursday morning. The money is part of $14 million being distributed to rural and urban transit systems in the state.
Lawrence already had received $1.93 million through the act, which is pumping a total of nearly $30 million into the state’s transit systems. The city plans to spend stimulus money to acquire vehicles that rely on biodiesel and hybrid power; some of the new buses are expected to be smaller than those now in service.
The Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority will receive $2 million for vehicle replacement.
Leavenworth County will get $155,000, as part of a pool of 10 transit providers sharing $4.6 million. Such investments must be for capital projects — such as buying vehicles and dispatching equipment, or building vehicle stops, shelters or other buildings — and must be started within 180 days.
KDOT also said it would devote $3.5 million to upgrading 15 radio towers around the state to support local transit services, allowing providers to communicate with their vehicles over longer distances. The towers are in Cloud, Dickinson, Ellis, Ellsworth, Hamilton, Jewell, Kearny, Lane, McPherson, Mitchell, Osborne, Rooks, Russell, Scott and Washington counties.
The stimulus program — formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — also requires that 15 percent of the $14 million set aside for rural transit must be used for transit between cities. To meet that standard, KDOT decided to dedicate $2 million for an intercity bus service envisioned between Wichita and Salina, and between Wichita and Pueblo, Colo.
In May, KDOT expects to seek proposals from private bus services and then select a provider. KDOT leaders say they are coordinating with officials in Colorado to develop the service.
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Guns_R_Good (anonymous) says…
I am sure replacing buses that no one rides will create many jobs, what a joke!
Thats_messed_up (anonymous) says…
Wouldn't buying helicopters be cheaper than the $580,000 soybean oil burning emT buses? Much quicker across Liberal Lawrence also. A four seater would be big enough.
beawolf (anonymous) says…
Guns_R_Good (Anonymous) says…
I am sure replacing buses that no one rides....
And you know this how? I ride frequently and the buses are often 3/4 full. From a personal observation I would say ridership has increased about 50% in the last 6-12 months.
So I guess the only joke here is you.
RETICENT_IRREVERENT (Ronaldo Ignacio) says…
Vice President Biden said to avoid using buses or any other “confined places” due to the H1N1 influenza A outbreak.
Guns_R_Good (anonymous) says…
Here's a question: Has the emp-T paid for itself? That 3/4 full thing cracks me up too! Reality obviously does not ride emp-T with you!
CLARKKENT (anonymous) says…
another waste of a million bucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
N_Trenched (anonymous) says…
It's the new "O"merican way. Reward those who fail, punish those who succeed.
Practicality (anonymous) says…
"To meet that standard, KDOT decided to dedicate $2 million for an intercity bus service envisioned between Wichita and Salina, and between Wichita and Pueblo, Colo."
Jesus, I guess this is really going to help the 200 people who would utilize the bus between these destinations. Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to purchase them a first class airline ticket?
xbusguy (chris Ogle) says…
And we wonder why we are broke.
cowboy (anonymous) says…
Multi ,
Winches is the correct spelling but I'm all in on putting wenches on the buses , heck yeah , buxom wenches serving freestate products , now that is what I call stimulus
Godot (anonymous) says…
Stimulus equals payback to local liberal interest groups that supported Obama so they can commit their communities to millions in wasted expenses.
Obama will drown us in tax increases, from sales taxes, user fees, property taxes, and carbon taxes. It is extortion.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Since sales taxes were raised to fund the empT, and since Congress & KDOT have subsequently thrown millions of dollars at it, shouldn't the sales tax increase be recinded? Or are they just going to be provided with an open checkbook to spend (waste) whatever amount of money they desire? Where's the checks and balances here?
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
beawolf (Anonymous) says:
I ride frequently and the buses are often 3/4 full.
Often 3/4 full? I don't know what you're smokin, but it's causing you to hallucinate! 3 or 4 - maybe; 3/4 - get real !
weatherguy48 (anonymous) says…
I've found that the 7 bus is pretty busy. The 6 bus barely has 1 or 2 people on it half the time though.
notajayhawk (anonymous) says…
beawolf (Anonymous) says…
"So I guess the only joke here is you."
Sorry, bw, but the empT is still the joke. A recent story in this very newspaper noted that ridership is up much less than your "personal observation," and that's only because of the KU students riding for free; *paid* ridership has actually declined.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/apr...
>>> "Despite an increase in ridership on the T of about 10 percent, fare box revenue actually declined by about 7 percent, or about $5,000, for the quarter."
(By the way, do the math - if a 7% decline equals $5,000 for the *quarter*, that means the total *annual* farebox revenues have dropped to around $265,000, or about $60 for every hour the empT is in operation; the remainder of this multimillion-dollar effluence is from your tax dollars.)
As for 'how' Guns_R_Good knew this, maybe he actually reads the paper before posting a comment - try it sometime.
****************************
cheeseburger (Anonymous) says…
"Or are they just going to be provided with an open checkbook to spend (waste) whatever amount of money they desire?"
That was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?
RoeDapple (anonymous) says…
Multi says - - - -
"KU roeing [sic] team"
Roeing team?
Is this gonna hurt?
beawolf (anonymous) says…
LOL, WoW, what a bunch of whiners. I stand by my observations. Maybe instead of the reading the paper, you should get out and ride the bus.
Bottom line, the T is getting another $1M. Money well spent.
Notajayhawk, You forgot the last paragraph in that article which explains the decrease in the revenue. Nor can these figures be extrapolated annually.
"Ridership on the city’s paratransit system — which provides door-to-door service for the disabled — has decreased by about 2 percent. That decrease has helped lead to the overall decline in revenue, since paratransit fees are twice as high as regular fares for the T."