The Spokane Transit Authority announced Tuesday the agency is receiving a $53 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the proposed Central City Line.
The line would provide rapid all-electric bus service between Browne's Addition, through downtown, the University District and the Logan neighborhood to Spokane Community College.
The new grant represents about 60% of the funding for the project.
STA CEO Susan Meyer says her agency had to compete to win the grant.
“We had to prove that it was a good project, cost effective, and would generate the ridership we were projecting. And then we had to prove we had the competency to manage a project of this size," Meyer said.
She says the new funding means the agency is on track to purchase 10 electric 60-foot buses, as well as four 40-foot units.
“We haven’t ordered them yet, but we have to order buses that are buy America compliant, which means they are a certain domestic content, and assembled in the United States.”
Meyer says the City Line will run as often as every 7 1/2 minutes on the route during peak hours.