Hagåtña, Guam – Federal funding for the Guam Regional Transit Authority to build a new maintenance facility has been extended through fiscal year (FY) 2023.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) sent a notice this morning to GRTA that its request to extend two unencumbered FTA grants has been approved.
- $1 million – to build a maintenance facility that will house the transfer station, bus operations, and administration office
- $237,500 – to perform the architecture and engineering (A&E) design for the new facility
The maintenance facility grant was originally awarded in 2012 and the A&E grant was first awarded in 2011. The unencumbered funds were set to expire on September 30, 2019, but with the enactment of Public Law 35-26, the FTA approved GRTA’s request for an extension. P.L. 35-26, which was authored by Senator Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, dedicates 6,120 square meters of land in Tamuning to GRTA for the construction of the maintenance facility.
“Securing the land for this facility was a key component of GRTA’s request. With the support of Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and the leadership of Senator Terlaje, we were able to save GovGuam $1.2 million. I am truly grateful for their commitment to advance the public transportation needs of our island. I’m also appreciative of the GRTA board and the thousands of riders who have been so patient with us,” said GRTA Executive Director Celestin Babauta.
GRTA Fleet
By performing regular maintenance of its vehicles, GRTA has doubled the number of its fleet from 7 buses and vans in January 2019 to 14 buses and vans in May 2019. GRTA is also no longer leasing transit vehicles from its contractor, resulting in a savings of over $150,000. In addition, GRTA is finalizing the procurement of 10 more buses.
“I want to thank Cel and his team at GRTA for their quick response to the issues that have been plaguing our public transportation agency for years. I remain committed to supporting GRTA as it works to modernize bus operations for our riders,” Governor Leon Guerrero stated.