The wheels on the bus should run a lot smoother now that Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) is scheduled to receive more than $2.5 million in stimulus money for a new Intermodal Transit Center and cleaner buses from the Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration.
The funding allows the city to expand its transit system to meet the demands of a growing public transportation need.
“This investment will create and save jobs today and benefit our community in the years to come,” U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) said in a press release. “Public transportation services, like those offered by our local transit agencies, have become all the more important with the downturn in the economy. I fully support providing my constituents with access to more affordable and environmental-friendly transportation.”
The new center will include buildings for customer service and bus pass sales, indoor and outdoor bus passenger waiting areas, and 16 bus bays. The new center will also serve The Breeze, Guadalupe Flyer, the Clean Air Express, and the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority.
SMAT serves more than one million riders
a year, and the number may rise during the recession.
Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez was happy to learn his town will also receive a replacement heavy-duty, 40-foot bus.
“We’re very grateful to Congresswoman Capps for supporting the funds for the new bus for Guadalupe. For a small town of 6,500, our bus rider count is well above 100,000 per year,” Alvarez said in the release.
Santa Marians should notice new buses in circulation later this year.
This article appears in Sep 3-10, 2009.