OC Bus System Scores $2M Fed Grant

OCEAN CITY -- The town of Ocean City this week secured a $2 million federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s State of Good Repair Program for upgrades and replacements for the municipal bus system.

Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin this week announced the $2 million grant for Ocean City, which will pass through the Maryland Department of Transportation. The pass-through grant was made available by the federal State of Good Repair Program, which provides assistance for new and replacement buses, related equipment and facilities.

Mikulski, a senior member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, made the pitch for the federal funding for Ocean City’s municipal bus system.

“Each year, I fight for federal funding to make traveling in Maryland faster, safer and easier,” she said this week. “Buses are a vital component of this transportation network. These funds in the federal checkbook for Ocean City’s bus system will help get Marylanders to their jobs, deliver goods to the marketplace and reduce congestion on our roads and highways. I’m proud to work for a strong, modern transportation system which cultivates a vibrant and healthy economy and keeps Maryland on the move.”

Cardin, a member of the Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, agreed securing the federal funding for the resort’s bus system was a solid investment.

“Putting money into public transportation such as bus systems is a smart use of federal dollars,” he said. “It will also make a visit to Ocean City more enjoyable for visitors who often rely on the city’s buses to get them where they want to go safely and efficiently.”

Maintaining the nation’s bus and rail systems in a State of Good Repair (SGR) is essential if public transportation systems are to provide safe and reliable service to millions of daily riders. State of Good Repair includes sharing ideas on recapitalization and maintenance issues, asset management practices and innovative financing strategies.

It also includes issues related to measuring the condition of transit capital assets, prioritizing local transit reinvestment decisions and preventative maintenance practices. Mikulski has been an outspoken advocate for transportation safety and efficiency in Maryland and across the country. To that end, Mikulski secured increased formula funding for Maryland’s transit priorities that includes an additional $30 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 to support transit systems across the state.