Menendez, Booker, Sherrill Announce $14.6M for NJT to Upgrade Wayne Bus Garage

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) today announced New Jersey Transit (NJT) was awarded $14,672,995 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to modernize and rehabilitate the Wayne Bus Garage, which services 191 buses, approximately 10% of NJT's entire bus fleet. In the last 22 years since the garage was built, it's begun experiencing wear in key facility components.

"The Wayne Bus Garage helps connect commuters to New York City, students to William Paterson and shoppers to Willowbrook, and plays a critical role in keeping our economy and our families moving forward," said Sen. Menendez, ranking member of the Senate's mass transit subcommittee. "Without this federal funding to make necessary upgrades, the garage could fall into dilapidation, which would cause a severe disruption in our state's transit network. I'm proud to have fought for this funding so that NJT can continue operating safely and bring people to their destination, while helping our state move towards a clean energy future."

"Modernizing New Jersey's transit systems through federal investment like this is critical to keeping our economy moving while improving the quality of life for commuters," said Sen. Booker. "I remain committed to continue fighting for the federal resources we need to strengthen New Jersey's aging infrastructure to ensure commuters have the safe and reliable mass transit they deserve."

"The Wayne Bus Garage is an essential component of our transportation infrastructure network in North Jersey," said Rep. Mikie Sherrill. "Residents in the 11th District depend on reliable service from this hub, including the buses that service the Wayne Transit Center. We fought for this DOT funding to not only make needed improvements to the garage, but with an eye toward the future as NJT transitions to electric vehicles."
NJT will use this funding to replace the roof and prepare the facility for solarization, upgrade the HVAC and fire detection and suppression systems, and install energy-efficient lighting. The project also includes upgrading the facility's infrastructure to support battery-electric buses, as NJT transitions away from their diesel-powered fleet.

"Thanks to our aggressive approach to grant proposals, NJ TRANSIT is set to receive yet another critically important grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation," said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. "This $15 million grant -- in combination with a $17 million grant received last year from USDOT to buy new articulated buses, and a newly-announced initiative to completely reimagine and redesign our bus network -- to make improvements to our Wayne bus garage, allow us to better align service with demand and enhance capacity on the routes with the heaviest ridership throughout Northern New Jersey. Our deepest thanks go out to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Acting Federal Transit Administration Administrator K. Jane Williams for quickly greenlighting this grant, Senator Menendez for his continued advocacy on behalf of NJ TRANSIT, and NJ Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill for her support of this important grant."

Source