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The US Department of Transportation has granted $12 million to build a new transportation facility for the Lift, Winter Park and Grand County’s public transit system.
Construction on the new facility is slated to begin in 2020 with an estimated cost of $20 million, according to a release from Winter Park.
The completed facility will be the hub for operations and maintenance of the 27 Lift vehicles. It will also ensure the protection of the buses and safety of operators, maintenance workers and riders the release said.
“The Lift has become a staple in the Fraser Valley and this grant allows us to take the next step in building a world-class transit system,” Winter Park Mayor Jimmy Lahrman said in the release.
Senator Michael Bennet sent a letter of support to the Secretary of Transportation in favor of the project earlier this month.
“Investments in transportation and infrastructure like this strengthen and connect our communities and boost local economies,” Bennet said in the release.
Congressman Joe Neguse also lobbied in favor of the project through a letter of support in June.
“Investments in transportation infrastructure in Grand County are much-needed and welcomed to invest in our local economies and connect communities,” Neguse said in a news release. “This grant will help ensure The Lift can continue to provide the over 500,000 riders in rural Colorado with safe means to access employment, medical appointments, social and recreational opportunities.”
The funds were awarded through the Department of Transportation’s Buses and Bus Facilities Program, which assists transit systems across the country. The total budget for this year’s grant program was $42 million, so 28% of it will go towards the Winter Park transit facility.
The Lift, which began in 2015, is a free public transit system services Winter Park, Fraser and Granby.