The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) is receiving around $28 million from the Federal Transit Administration to distribute to local agencies stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around $6 million will go to transit systems in Casper and Cheyenne. Forty-one other local transit authorities, like the START bus program in Jackson and the Wind River Transit Authority, will share $12.3 million to help fund their programs for the rest of the year.
WYDOT Director Luke Reiner said that leaves around $10 million dollars. He said the department is going to wait through the summer to see how those transit programs will need extra support into the next year.
"We know the money will end. There's only a fixed pot. [It's] not to grow the programs because when the COVID money is gone. We're back to how we were before. And we think it's really important that we stay consistent and keep what we have," he said
Reiner said the ultimate goal is to help keep these transit systems alive through this tough economic period.
Additionally, WYDOT is also asking the state for some of its federal CARES Act funding.
"The first item that we asked for was a reimbursement for COVID supplies and statewide delivery of supplies. So we, about three or four days a week, are actually moving materials around the state in what we call a relay," he said.
Reiner said the department asked for more than $120,000 for that item. The department also submitted requests for funding 11 other items. It has not yet heard back on their requests.
Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Catherine Wheeler, at cwheel11@uwyo.edu.
