Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Dan Wadlington 417.889.1800
Tuesday, April 26, 2005

SPRINGFIELD, MO U.S. Senator Kit Bond and Congressman and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has sent Springfield $1.9 million in federal funds for the community’s transportation needs.

"These dollars will allow Springfield to make much needed upgrades to their public transportation system," said Senator Bond, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that funds the Department of Transportation. "The improvements will make transportation safer, more efficient and accessible for residents in Springfield and the surrounding communities."

"The CU bus system is crucial to thousands of residents each month who see a bus ride as the only way to work, to the grocery, retail outlets and to leisure activities," Blunt said. "These funds promise to keep the CU buses rolling and to upgrade the system with more sheltered bus pickup points and enhanced features for disabled passengers."

Bond and Blunt secured the funds for Springfield in the fiscal year 2004 and 2005 spending bills. DOT will send Springfield’s City Utilities (CU) the funds to improve the city’s public transportation system.

Springfield’s CU will use the funds to retrofit and rebuild existing paratransit buses, construct handicap-accessible bus turnouts and sidewalks, renovate transit and fleet management facilities, repair the Park Central transfer and bus storage facility, and install solar panels at bus shelters.

“City Utilities has been providing reliable and safe transportation to Springfield, Missouri for many years, a track record made possible because of ongoing efforts to improve our transit system. Due in great part to the efforts of Senator Kit Bond and Congressman Roy Blunt, transportation improvements for our customers can continue and even be accelerated,” said Carol Cruise, Director, Transit at City Utilities.