Kansas Governor Laura Kelly was in Salina Thursday morning to celebrate along with OCCK Transportation, $13.2 million which will go toward 48 public transit projects across the state, including improvements to Salina’s 81 Connection and CityGO bus services.
Governor Laura Kelly, joined by Federal Transit Administration Administrator Nuria Fernandez and Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz, appropriately arrived to the event at the OCCK Transportation Headquarters in downtown Salina via CityGo bus.
“A strong, safe public transportation system is critical to our state’s economy and quality of life,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Projects like wheelchair accessible busses, upgraded bus facilities, and route and parking lot enhancements will ensure Kansans have access to adequate, safe, and well-maintained public transportation.”
That money will go to 26 transit agencies as part of the Access, Innovation, and Collaboration (AIC) Public Transit Program.
The announcement took place at the OCCK, Inc., Transportation complex in Salina in an expanded bus facility funded by the Kansas Department of Transportation and an FTA grant, with support from the City of Salina and OCCK. The 16,000 square-foot expansion was completed in November 2021.
“This work reflects the tremendous partnership between all levels of government,” FTA Administrator Fernandez said. “In addition to funding new bus facilities and improving transit service, the grants support the purchase of low- or no-emission buses. That work throughout Kansas will accelerate the transition to cleaner, more efficient transportation system, and help keep our skies blue, our water clean and our climate more predictable by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Both urban and rural transit providers receive support from the AIC program, which will improve transit access and services for Kansans. The projects have a total cost of about $17M, with the AIC program providing about $13M ($2M state, $11M federal) of the funds.
In the first two years of the AIC program, KDOT will have awarded $21 million in funding for a total project cost of $26 million.
“The AIC Public Transit Program combines state and federal resources that will enhance access to transit, invest in emerging technologies and form collaborations with public and private transportation providers,” Secretary Lorenz said. “I’m proud of the partnerships we’ve established to improve transportation services and options for Kansans.”
Project types include constructing bus maintenance facilities to aid in fleet management, upgraded transit accessibility following the Americans with Disabilities Act, advanced technologies, and expanded low emissions transit operations.
OCCK Director of Transportation Trell Grinter said since 2005, OCCK Transportation has provided over 4 million rides.
Salina Mayor Dr. Trent Davis speaks as Kansas Governor Laura Kelly looks on.
Governor Laura Kelly, joined by Federal Transit Administration Administrator Nuria Fernandez and Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz, appropriately arrived to the event at the OCCK Transportation Headquarters in downtown Salina via CityGo bus.
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A map of AIC Transit projects can be found here.
Below, is a list of the AIC Kansas 2022 Selected Projects:
Access, Innovation and Collaboration Kansas 2022 Selected Projects
| Project Sponsor | Project Title | Award |
| Butler County Department on Aging | Technology Upgrade | $1,552 |
| Community Health Center (CHC) – Southeast Kansas (SEK) in Crawford County | Regional Transportation Facility for SEK | $1,043,802 |
| City of Liberal | Transit Program Signage | $172,800 |
| City of Wilson | Bus Facility | $40,000 |
| Clay County Task Force | New Bus for Clay County | $63,000 |
| COF Training Services, Inc. in Franklin County | 2021 Bus Replacement | $51,746 |
| Coffey County Transportation | Bus and Bus Facility Improvements | $25,600 |
| Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, Inc. (DSNWK) in Ellis County
| 8-Passenger Bus w/ 4-Wheelchair Capacity | $71,702 |
| Building & Equipment Updates | $87,412 | |
| Flint Hills Area Transportation Agency (FHATA) – serving Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties
| Safety & Security Upgrades to FHATA Facility | $20,000 |
| Covered Bus Parking Lot at the FHATA Facility | $57,750 | |
| Junction City Regional Transit Facility | $900,000 | |
| K-18 Connector Expansion | $370,980 | |
| Junction City Fixed Route Bridge Funding | $157,500 | |
| Real Time Passenger Information Devices | $9,600 | |
| Microtransit Study | $54,000 | |
| Zero Emissions Vehicle Study | $20,000 | |
| Futures Unlimited – Sumner County | Transportation Facility Renovation | $221,060 |
| Hetlinger Developmental Services – Lyon County | Three-Stall Bus Barn | $81,865 |
| Johnson County Transit
| EV Micro Transit Service | $374,526 |
| Technology Improvements for RideKC | $382,500 | |
| Lawrence Transit
| Equitable & Accessible Bus Stops | $122,040 |
| Multimodal Transfer Facility Elements | $1,624,000 | |
| Microtransit Pilot | $124,000 | |
| Zero-Emissions Transition Plan | $120,000 | |
| Technology, Accessibility and Branding Enhancements | $676,448 | |
| Lyon County Transportation (LCAT) | Security Camera Expansion | $12,000 |
| Leavenworth County | Secure Parking Area for Transit Vehicles | $525,000 |
| Morris County | Public Transportation Facility | $507,465 |
| Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging – Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha and Washington counties | Clean Technology Expansion | $234,509 |
| OCCK, Inc. – Saline, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Cloud, Ottawa, Republic, Mitchel, Jewell and Lincoln counties
| Mobility Hubs & Stop Improvement | $84,600 |
| Second Floor Renovation | $270,316 | |
| 81 Connection Expansion (Saturdays) | $54,812 | |
| CityGo+ – Microtransit Pilot in Salina | $250,400 | |
| Fixed Route Enhancements – Software & Bus Equipment | $570,769 | |
| Osage County | New Vehicles | $222,400 |
| Rooks County | Bus Garage Project | $620,928 |
| Sedgwick County Department on Aging | Vehicle Camera Systems | $32,000 |
| Southeast Kansas Community Action Program (SEK-CAP) – Crawford and Neosho counties | Innovative Scheduling | $103,437 |
| Solomon Valley Transportation – Jewell, Mitchell and Osborne counties | Building Project | $1,484,290 |
| The Guidance Center – Leavenworth | Transit Technology Implementation | $25,747 |
| Unified Government Transit
| Bus Facility Modernization | $431,778 |
| Fleet Modernization | $271,440 | |
| Paratransit Software Enhancements | $16,560 | |
| Accident Incident Management System | $15,300 | |
| Micro Transit Expansion | $394,144 | |
| Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Pilot Program | $124,168 | |
| Wabaunsee County | Fleet Expansion and Barriers | $87,210 |
| Total: $13,213,156 | ||
