LANSING – State Representative Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) voted to use federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to retrofit buses of the Bay Metro Transit Authority with hybrid technology, a move that will create jobs, lower costs and build a cleaner Bay County. The plan now awaits Senate action.
"Bay Metro is one of Michigan's great public transportation systems, and this funding will allow them to retrofit some of their buses to take advantage of new hybrid technology," Mayes said. "That means jobs for our workers and a cleaner community. This is great news for Bay County."
The plan, which received unanimous bipartisan support, uses federal stimulus funds for a variety of projects to rebuild crumbling infrastructure and help people get back on the job. More than half a million dollars will be used to refurbish buses at Bay Metro and three other public transit systems in Michigan.
"As we transition to a cleaner, green economy, we need to make sure our public transportation systems are keeping pace," Mayes said. "Modernizing Bay Metro is vital to the thousands of people and businesses who depend on their services daily. With this federal funding, we can keep that process going here in Bay County and help improve this important community resource."