AVTA Awarded $3.9 Million In Latest Round Of Government Transportation Program

The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) announced a milestone at a recent board meeting, reporting that the agency has been awarded $3,902,000 in funding from the state transportation grant, known officially as Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and partially funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB1).

“This is AVTA’s sixth award from TIRCP, an achievement unmatched by any other transit agency,” AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist said. “We are very pleased with the success of the AVTA staff, especially our CFO Judy Vaccaro-Fry, who successfully proposed all of these projects to the TIRCP. Congratulations, Judy on your sixth grant out of six rounds!”

According to California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the sixth cycle of TIRCP grants will help kick-start new transit projects, create thousands of jobs, and put the state of California in a stronger position to compete for significant federal infrastructure funding.

Vaccaro-Fry presented a legislative update at April’s AVTA board meeting that included the announcement of the $3.9 million in funding for their request, entitled “High Desert Clean Connector.”

“This project creates a new, zero-emission commuter transit connection between the Antelope Valley and Victorville, and includes the purchase of four zero‐emission buses,” Vaccaro- Fry said. “We are thrilled with the service to these communities that this funding makes possible.”

Victor Valley Transit Agency, which participated as co-applicant for this grant proposal with AVTA, will join AVTA in support of this project which is expected to have a total cost of $5,454,000.

AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the California cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles.

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