The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that the Roaring Fork Transit Authority and Snowmass Village Shuttles were granted nearly $2 million to replace old buses.
Snowmass Village Shuttles received $400,000 and the Roaring Fork Transit Authority just under $1.8 million.
Roaring Fork Transit Authority Director of Planning, David Johnson, said it will use the grant money to replace four buses used for Maroon Bells transportation in the summer and skiing transportation during the winter.
He said the Roaring Fork Transit Authority has received just under $2 million dollars each of the last few years to help repair and replace buses.
Johnson says since the money is not guaranteed year-to-year, the Roaring Fork Transit Authority still puts money aside for infrastructure repairs and replacements.
“We see the grants as more of icing on the cake as opposed to a reliable source of funding to maintain and replace our vehicles and our equipment,” he said.
Roaring Fork Transit Authority aims to replace 88 buses every 14 years. Johnson said the grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation helps them work toward that goal.