The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is extending funding for the Westport Transit District’s after-school bus route through the end of 2014.
That’s good news for parents who have scrambled to provide transportation for youngsters headed to programs at Earthplace, Temple Israel and other spots around town.
State Representative Steinberg commended the FTA for its “flexibility and commitment to fairness. The town of Westport followed the process which FTA laid out and the arguments for an extension were well-received.”
Involved with Steinberg in the bipartisan effort to secure the funding extension were Westport 1st selectman Jim Marpe, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Congressman Jim Himes.
Now, Steinberg says, Westport must turn its attention to longer-range transportation options.
This is a huge short-term win for Westport, but to construct a long term solution we have to have the SWRPA transit study that was undertaken at our request but has strangely disappeared from sight. What’s the holdup? Time’s a wastin’, and the feds won’t give us extensions forever.
Still don’t understand why a federal government controls municipal transportation.
Nancy: I believe it was explained in one of the earlier posts on this topic, but I don’t recall now what the specifics were on how the Fed controls this funding. It made sense to me (at the time, ha!), but the details are fuzzy, and best left to the “experts” (ie – not me).
Jennifer Johnson and Gene Cederbaum our volunteer co-directors of the Westport Transportation District should also be thanked for their tireless efforts and representation for Westport!
There’s nothing more local than transit. Cities and regions should control transit. More bang for one’s buck.
Good luck when the next snow storm hits.
Schools are local as well, but the state government and federal government have a say on how they are run. If you take money from the feds, they own you.
In the long run, it sounds like a very expensive and ineffective system.
This is great news for our town and our children. It is a true testament to the diligence of the Westport Transit District, the Selectman’s Office, The Operations Manager, and Rep. Steinberg. I am thankful that I got to be a small part of this process, and I look forward to a permanent solution that will serve the needs of the community.