RTA names transit grant winners
A handful of suburbs are in line to receive more than $8.7 million for transit-related programs.
The Regional Transportation Authority is offering a public comment period through Sept. 30 on the grants, which should be finalized in October.
RTA administrators received numerous applications from communities for funding for transportation-related projects and selected 13. A number of the programs focused on transporting people to jobs. Funding comes both from the federal government and the RTA and involves a local match.
The preliminary list of local recipients includes:
Ÿ Lake Villa is set to be awarded $100,000 to create a development plan for the neighborhood around its Metra station to help encourage housing and jobs in the area.
Ÿ Mount Prospect will be granted $80,000 to evaluate how well its downtown revitalization program is going and determine what’s next.
Ÿ Naperville Community Based Ride to Work program will receive $519,405 to operate a service transporting seniors and people with disabilities to jobs.
Ÿ Fox Lake will receive $80,000 to plan for transit-oriented development around its downtown Metra station. This would include ideas to improve walkability, encourage the use of Metra and redevelop vacant properties.
Ÿ Carpentersville will get $60,000 to explore bus routes to employment centers in the village and nearby towns.
Ÿ Kane County will receive $2.8 million for a program that coordinates transit for seniors, individuals with disabilities and low-income residents.
Ÿ Hanover Township will be awarded $15,454 to pay for a volunteer driver program to supplement the Dial-A-Bus program that provides rides to seniors and adults with disabilities.
Ÿ Lake County will be granted $487,204 to continue its Northwest Demonstration Project dial-a-ride service to seniors, people with disabilities and low-income riders.
“We believe economic development and housing issues should be looked at in combination with transit. This maximizes use of the transit system for the RTA while bringing economic development (and) housing opportunities near existing transit assets to these communities,” said Jay Ciavarella, RTA division manager for special programs.