HRT gets funds for upkeep of Elizabeth River ferries, buses

By Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 4, 2009

NORFOLK

Hampton Roads Transit has been awarded $437,000 in federal economic stimulus money for maintenance of the Elizabeth River ferries and express buses.

The money will be used for preventive maintenance on HRT’s ferries that shuttle passengers across the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth and on express buses. Both services are known as “fixed route” and therefore qualify for the funding announced Friday by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

HRT already has received about $25 million in stimulus money for projects including building a new bus operations center and administrative office, purchasing diesel buses and retrofitting bus engines to reduce exhaust emissions.

The agency has applied for an additional $9.5 million in discretionary stimulus funds for hybrid buses and building maintenance, but awards have not yet been announced.

Since President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February, more than $4 billion in grants have been made for transit improvements across the country.

In all, $48.1 billion is available for highway, road, transit, bridge, and airport construction and repairs. Nearly half already has been obligated to fund close to 7,000 projects.