The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that it will award $20 million to 47 communities to help improve public transportation options in areas experiencing long-term economic distress. Locally, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments will receive $342,000 in funding to develop a rural on-demand transit plan in the city of Summerville for TriCounty Link.
The project will support planning work to implement same day, on-demand transit service in the underserved rural areas of Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties, as well as develop plans for fixed-route services in Summerville.
FTA's Areas of Persistent Poverty (AoPP) program provides support to state and local governments, transit agencies, and nonprofit organizations to create better transit for residents with limited or no transportation options.
“Across the country, people who live in low-income rural, urban, and Tribal communities are less likely to own a car and more likely to rely on public transit,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Through this program, we are bringing affordable, accessible public transit to the very communities that need it the most, making it possible for more people to access jobs, resources, and opportunity.”
Investments from the Areas of Persistent Poverty program can be used to support efforts to initiate transit service as well as improve service and modernize fleets, from procuring low- and no-emission buses, to launching scheduling apps and improving bus stops.
