Carbondale gets $14M federal grant for regional transit hub

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - The city of Carbondale is receiving a federal grant to build a downtown transit hub that will service more than 30 counties.

The Southern Illinoisan reports the city will receive $14 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Carbondale has pursued funding for the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station since 2016.

City Manager Gary Williams says the transit center will make transportation, including Amtrak and bus travel, much more efficient. He says the city can now start acquiring land needed to build and hire designers.

Rep. Mike Bost says the funding also will be used to demolish the existing Amtrak station.

Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry calls it a "major investment in rural transportation that will improve the lives of many working families in our region."