[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that mass transit districts in both Bloomington-Normal and Springfield, Illinois have received grants totaling $2,802,400 grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bus and Bus Facilities Program to purchase new buses for both the Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System and the Springfield Mass Transit District.

“Public transportation serves an important purpose in the daily lives of people in communities across Illinois. Maintaining the efficiency and safety of these systems is critical. Today’s announcement will bring new and improved buses to Bloomington-Normal and Springfield, which will expand their transportation networks and ensure safety and reliability in the bus transit systems in both areas,” said Durbin. 

Under today’s announcement, the Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System will receive $2,040,000 in funding and the Springfield Mass Transit District will receive $762,400 in funding to purchase replacement buses.

Today’s grants were awarded on a competitive basis through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Ladders of Opportunity Initiative, which provides federal funding to communities to modernize and expand their public bus transit systems.

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