Vallejo gets $7.6M federal boost

Vallejo gets $7.6M federal boost
By Sarah Rohrs/Times-Herald staff writer
Posted: 06/11/2009

The roof and deck of the Vallejo Ferry building will see some improvements thanks to an influx of $7.6 million in federal stimulus money, officials said Wednesday.

Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, announced that Vallejo would get $7,612,324 for a variety of bus and ferry improvements.

The federal money also will help offset the impact of the tate budget crisis on Vallejo Transit bus operations, Transportation Superintendent Crystal Odum Ford said.

The city will use the money to renovate the Vallejo Transit bus maintenance facility on Broadway, and also will upgrade administrative offices and ticket sales area, Ford said.

When not in use, buses are now spread out in different lots, and the improvements will allow the city to consolidate the fleet under one roof at the Broadway site, she added.

At the Ferry Building, money will go to roof repairs and various observation deck improvements, Ford said. Upgrades to make the building fully compliant with the American Disabilities Act will also be done.

Further, a portion of the money will help cover costs to overhaul two of the ferry boats, she said.

Money for preventative maintenance on the Vallejo Transit buses is critical since that will free up funds for operations which have been lost in state budget cuts, Ford said.

Tuesday, the City Council allowed staff to hire an engineering firm to start planning the bus and ferry improvements.

The city is also seeking federal stimulus money to help pay for the Vallejo Station, a new bus transfer facility that is part of a large downtown waterfront development plan.

The city of Vacaville, meanwhile, will be getting $2,217.074 for its Vacaville Intermodal Station.

Miller's office announced that nearly more than $100 million will go to transit projects in the Bay Area, and more than $400 million on similar projects throughout the state.

The money comes from the $787 billion American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) approved by Congress earlier this year, Miller's office announced.

"This funding is part of our effort to get Americans back to work by investing in our infrastructure," Miller said, in the announcement.

"These funds will help make our mass transit systems more efficient and less expensive and will help cut our dependence on foreign oil," he added.

• Contact staff writer Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@thnewsnet.com or 553-6832.