08.07.20

Cantwell Announces $2.95M Federal Grant to Spokane Transit for Seven Double-Decker Buses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced that Spokane Transit Authority will receive $2.95 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to purchase up to seven fixed route double-decker buses to operate on the Cheney High Performance Transit corridor. 

With over 650,000 annual boardings, the Spokane-Cheney corridor connects Downtown Spokane, the region’s largest employment center, with Cheney, home to Eastern Washington University (EWU). Transit service along the Cheney corridor connects the more than 13,000 students and faculty members at EWU with other universities as well as regional, commercial, and employment centers. The distance between Downtown Spokane and EWU is over 16 miles, creating challenges when buses are at seating capacity. The purchase of double-decker buses will increase seating capacity by 33%, while at the same time reducing the need to use additional buses and resources on the corridor. This will allow Spokane Transit to provide more passenger trips with fewer vehicle trips and increase the overall efficiency and reliability of the service.

The funding for Spokane Transit comes from the FTA’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program, which assists in the financing of buses and bus facilities capital projects. It supports the replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing, or leasing of buses or related equipment and the rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing, or leasing of bus-related facilities.

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