Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a $13,833,483 grant to the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) to help replace revenue that was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Northwest Ohioans can continue to have the safe and reliable bus service they need to get to work and school and doctors’ appointments. These funds were made possible through the American Rescue Plan, which Brown helped write and pass.
“Toledo riders rely on TARTA buses to take them to work, school, or a game at Fifth Third Field and then to take them safely back home again,” said Brown. “By investing in TARTA operations and by supporting their drivers and mechanics during the pandemic, we can improve service for riders and help the community have better access to safe and reliable transportation.”
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our dedicated TARTA employees never stopped running our services. We knew that our community and businesses were counting on us as essential infrastructure. As our community strives to recover economically, this grant award will allow TARTA to continue to meet the needs of our region and be the transit system that the Toledo Metro area deserves,” said Laura Koprowski, CEO of TARTA. “On behalf of TARTA employees and the Board of Trustees, we would like to thank Senator Brown for his ongoing support for public transit and TARTA’s need for this federal funding. We applaud him for his understanding and support of the dignity of our employees, and the value of our mission, which is empowering people to make connections.”
DOT’s investment will help ensure TARTA has a strong operating budget in order to continue serving southwest Ohio riders.
Brown – who serves as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which oversees DOT’s Federal Transit Administration – has championed federal investment to support Ohio’s local transit authorities.
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