JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Government officials working together to provide basic needs to voters was the underlying message Monday at the Cambria County Transit Authority's four-new bus donation program.
“The community came to Washington and said, 'This is important to us,'” said Rep. John Joyce (R-Blair), standing in front of the new buses at the CamTran bus garage on Maple Avenue in Johnstown. “This is an opportunity to say,” he said. Wood bale section. “We need to upgrade the vehicles we use to transport Cambria County residents, and we want to do that with compressed natural gas buses.”
The four Gillig buses include two 31-seater models and two 21-seater models.
These will replace four seven-year-old diesel buses, making more than 50% of CamTran's total fleet of 72 urban and rural buses powered by natural gas, of which 44 are powered by natural gas. It will be a bus.
A federal Community Progress Fund grant of $2,200,138 obtained by Mr. Joyce was matched with $550,034 in funding through the Pennsylvania General Assembly to fund the purchase of $2,750,172.
“When this Community Advancement Fund grant was presented to us, it was easy to put off, just like it was easy to put off enhancing the safety and communications equipment for the Johnstown Police Department. “I did,” Joyce said.
“It's important that we recognize and acknowledge that we are the backbone of transporting so many voters in Cambria County,” he told Camtran members participating in Monday's program.
“Without your hard work, many people would not have their transportation needs met. CamTran will continue to move Cambria County forward.”
State Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, thanked Joyce for winning the grant and also thanked the state Legislature for joining in supporting the fund.
“What keeps this field moving forward is collaboration,” Burns said. “We have to put political parties aside and do what’s best for our community, because people who just need to drive to work and have to take a bus; Because I don't care about the Republicans.'' Democrats. ”
CamTran Executive Director Rose Lucey-Noll shared customer testimonials CamTran has received from riders.
One woman had a job interview scheduled, but it took two bus rides to get there, and a connecting bus was scheduled to leave before the first bus arrived at the station. She thanked her CamTran for letting her wait a few minutes for the bus she wanted to transfer to.
“That's what it means to not rely on public transport at all,” Lucy Knoll said. “All of us think about just jumping in the car and going to a job interview or going to the store. You can't do that if you're a bus passenger.”
Randy Griffith is a multimedia reporter for the Tribune-Democrat. Contact him at 532-5057. Follow him on Twitter @PhotoGriffer57.
