All North Central Regional Transit District bus stops are one step closer to becoming compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act — and the federal government has agreed to foot most of the bill.
The District Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution Nov. 8, to approve a budget amendment to provide a local match for the $252,500 project that will bring 32 District stops into Act compliance.
District documents state the U.S. Transportation Alternatives Program awarded the District $215,736 in federal funds to cover planning, design and construction, requiring the District to put up a $36,764 local match. Projects and Grants Specialist Stacy McGuire said the District was originally going to have to put up a larger local match until the Program informed her they had extra funds and would be increasing the federal match.
The six-figure project will cover both phases of the District’s “(Act) Transition Plan.” In Phase I, the District will identify the stops in need of modification and what kind of modifications it will need.
In Phase II, the identified stops will be connected to the street or roadway, allowing barrier-free access to riders. Each individual stop will cost $4,000 to $8,000 to modify, according to District estimates.
The lack of Act-compliant bus stops was one of the major complaints that KFH Group Vice President Ken Hosen levied against the District when the private consultant gave a service plan update presentation in front of the Board Sept. 6.
In a previous Rio Grande SUN report, District Executive Director Anthony Mortillaro said the Board will vote on a comprehensive service plan update to improve District infrastructure in January.
Finance Director Glenda Aragon also delivered a financial summary for the District Board.
October had not been kind to the District, generating $8,869 in revenues as opposed to $196,281 in expenses. The District had budgeted $777,664 for both revenues and expenses for October.
However, the District still has some breathing room, having generated just under $1.5 million while spending almost $1.3 million in expenditures.