YOUNGSTOWN – The Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) will break ground on a new “bus barn” next week.
A press conference will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 22, where the Transit Authority will announce the barn. Groundbreaking will take place immediately afterwards.
A press release says the construction of “Bus Barn A” will modernize WRTA’s infrastructure and support the future of public transportation here in the Mahoning Valley.
“The Bus Barn A project represents a transformative investment in WRTA’s future, positioning the agency to continue its role as a leader in innovative, reliable and sustainable public transportation,” the release reads.
The release adds that this project is expected to catalyze even more economic revitalization and development along the Mahoning Avenue Corridor.
In 2023, former Senator Sherrod Brown announced a federal grant to help the WRTA pay for a new place to protect its fleet of buses.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration awarded a $4,313,552 Bus Facilities Grant to the WRTA to reconstruct and improve WRTA’s bus barn, which is the agency’s primary facility for bus maintenance and operations.
The project includes charging equipment for battery electric buses, along with upgrading the electrical system to handle the load of charging buses.
The project will replace one of the agency’s bus barns that hasn’t been updated since the 1970s.
The investment was made possible through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
More information on the project is expected to be revealed at Monday’s press conference.
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