The Baker-Polito Administration announced Wednesday a total of $8.6 million for cities, towns, and nonprofit organizations to use under the Community Transit Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The annual competitive grant program awards money to be used for transit operating costs, mobility management, or new capital investments.

 

"Community Transit Grants provide critical funding to local organizations to purchase equipment to help people get where they need to go efficiently and safely," Governor Charlie Baker said. "Our Administration will continue to make efforts to work with local leaders, community stakeholders, and the private sector to make transit accessible to everyone."

 

The BRTA will be awarded eight vehicles and $6,112 to fund salaries and materials to support BRTA's travel training program.

 

The funding is for applications made to the program during 2020. Awards include funding to 30 organizations for 113 vans and minibuses and money to 21 entities for 28 operating and mobility management projects. Award recipients include some of the state's 15 Regional Transit Authorities, municipalities, Councils on Aging, and eligible nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts.

 

"The Community Transit Grant Program plays an integral part in supporting transportation networks in local communities,"  MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack said. "These grants help transportation providers state-wide continue to care for and improve the service they have, in particular, for people who rely on getting help to where they need to go, such as individuals who have disabilities."

 

The Community Transit Grant Program is the Commonwealth's annual competitive grant program to distribute both Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310: Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities funds and State Mobility Assistance Program funds. The FTA Section 5310 grant program provides funding to assist with the purchase of capital equipment, mobility management, and operational costs in order to meet the mobility needs of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities of any age. State Mobility Assistance Program (MAP) funds are used to assist in the provision of transportation services to seniors and persons with disabilities exclusively through the purchase of eligible vehicles.

 

In total, MassDOT plans to distribute $8,616,708 of federal and state funds for vehicles, operating projects, and mobility management projects in this round of the program.