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ECAT Receives $10.1 Million CARES Act Federal Grant
July 16, 2020
ECAT has been awarded a grant of $10.1 million through CARES Act federal funding for operational and preventative maintenance expenses during COVID-19 for local transit services.
The funds will also pay for PPE, sanitation supplies, and other COVID prevention measure implemented since March. Escambia County Area Transit ECAT provides service through the fixed-route bus, seasonal Pensacola Beach trolley, University of West Florida UWF on-campus trolley and paratransit demand response transportation.
“We are very excited to receive this funding to better serve this community,” Escambia County Mass Transit Director Tonya Ellis said. “Our priority remains the safety and health of our employees and passengers, especially during this pandemic.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration announced a total of $25 billion in federal funding allocations to help the nation’s public transportation systems respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019. Funding is provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed by President Donald Trump on March 27.
Funding will be provided at a 100 percent federal share, with no local match required, and will be available to support capital, operating, and other expenses generally eligible under those programs to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.
Since April 6, ECAT has supported the county’s efforts to address the COVID-19 virus and has temporarily suspended fare collection for passengers of ECAT bus services. In addition, bus passengers have been instructed to enter and exit through the rear doors only and sit behind the accessibility-reserved seating area. Front-door access is permitted only for passengers needing the boarding ramp or operator assistance to access the bus. ADA accessible seating space near the front of the bus is reserved for individuals in mobility devices, individuals in need of special assistance and families with children in strollers. These changes provide some separation between the operator and the passengers, and between passengers.
Comments
5 Responses to “ECAT Receives $10.1 Million CARES Act Federal Grant”
@ pencil on …and just which department do you work in with ECAT system?
WHY! What a waste! Jus saying.
Securing a grant of this magnitude is not easy. Its obviously a testament to great leadership over at ECAT and the execution & discipline of number crunchers and policy makers there.
Kudos for making Escambia riders and the community safer!
Ok….. So….. halt the additional county tax at the pump going to ECAT…. Working folks need the benefit… besides, 90% of the folks that buy gas don’t benefit from ECAT. Just a management issue. .
Now the four cents a gallon added to the price of gas to fund ECAT can be removed.