The Iowa Transportation Commission is providing $500,000 in grant money to help build a two-bay garage in Forest City for public transit buses.
The commission is also granting funds to help the city of Mason City replace two transit buses that are past their useful life.
This garage project is one of four public transit projects around the state approved for DOT funding Tuesday, according to a press release from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The projects are funded under the state Public Transit Infrastructure Grant Program for new or improved facilities to support public transit services.
Transit systems can apply to have up to 80% of a project funded through the program. To qualify, a transit system must secure local funding for a minimum of 20% of the project costs.
Kevin Kramer, transit administrator with the North Iowa Area Council of Governments, told the Globe Gazette the garage is a joint project with the city of Forest City. The city operates its own public transit system using NIACOG buses.
The garage will be located at the Forest City Public Works grounds. It could be completed a year from now, according to Kramer.
The Iowa Transportation Commission received the funds to help replace the Mason City transit buses through the Federal Transit Administration's Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Program as well as the Federal Highway Administration's Carbon Reduction Program.
The new Mason City buses will cost $214,000 each. The federal portion is $182,100 for one of those vehicles and $181,900 for the other. The local matching funds for the buses will be $31,900 and $32,100, respectively.
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