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Transit system gets $2.5 million in stimulus funds

Federal money earmarked for upgrades, improvements

RECOVERY ACT TRANSIT UPGRADE GRANTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

* Greenville, $1.5 million

* Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority in Wilmington, $2.5 million

* Concord, $1.3 million

* Asheville, $2.6 million

* Fayetteville, $3.1 million

* Chapel Hill, $2.7 million

* Durham, $4.3 million

* Charlotte, $20.8 million

* Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority (Greenway Public Transportation), $2.5 million

* Goldsboro/Wayne Transportation Authority, $886,000

* Triangle Transit Authority in Durham and Raleigh, $2.8 million

* Raleigh, $7.6 million

By Dee Henry | Hickory Daily Record

Published: July 16, 2009

CONOVER - Greenway Public Transportation is living up to the "green" in its name with help from the federal government.

The agency was created when transit authorities in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties, and those in Hickory, Conover and Newton, combined to make a new entity. It is one of the highest fund-getters, slated to receive $2.5 million.

The amount to be distributed across the state is $52.5 million, earmarked specifically for transit upgrades and improvements.

"These grants will both improve our transportation infrastructure and spur job growth in North Carolina," said Sen. Kay Hagan, who announced the recipients of the money Tuesday.

The money is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an act passed by Congress to stimulate the nation's economy.

"We will be able to do a lot of projects that otherwise we couldn't afford," said Ed Clifford, executive director for Greenway, formerly know as the Western Piedmont Regional Transit Authority.

Among those projects is the purchase of new hybrid paratransit vehicles, or smaller vans used to carry disabled people, on a scheduled basis, to appointments, jobs or other meetings. Riders must contact the authority to schedule pick-up and drop-off times.

"We will also be getting computers on those paratransit vehicles," he said.

The computers will enable drivers to be informed more quickly of any cancellations or changes on the route.

Clifford said solar lighting is being considered for some of the stops along the routes.

"Another part of the money will go toward funding the maintenance of our fleet," he said. While the money cannot be used for staffing, Clifford said the authority contracts out that maintenance work and can use the money for that work.

The authority plans to use the money to put its new name on some of the buses, which still carry old logos.

Other nearby recipients include Concord ($1.3 million) and Asheville ($2.6 million).

The highest allotments are to Charlotte, which will receive $20.8 million for the renovation and expansion of the Charlotte Area Transit Authority's North Davidson Facility, and to develop a new administration, operations and maintenance facility for CATS Special Transportation Service; Raleigh, allotted $7.6 million for the purchase of a 23-acre site where the new Capital Area Transit's new operations and maintenance facility will be constructed; and Durham, $4.3 million to fund preventive maintenance, the painting of 30 buses, the purchase of 15 paratransit replacement vans and nine paratransit expansion vans.