Summit County secures $25 million dollar federal grant for transit improvements

The $25 million dollar grant awarded to Summit County and HVT is the largest available amount given by the RAISE program. Photo: TownLift.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — On Friday, Summit County, along with partner High Valley Transit (HVT), announced the addition of a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.. The grant is for the continuation of the S.R. 224 Electric Bus and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The $25 million dollar grant is the largest available amount given by the RAISE program. Each awarded grant is meant to be used for transportation modernization, increasing safety, and improving supply chains.

“High Valley Transit is thrilled and honored by the news that HVT and Summit County received the RAISE grant for Bus Rapid Transit and electric buses,” said HVT Board Chair Kim Carson. “This was our fifth application for this very competitive federal grant, and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the hard work of our Executive Director, Caroline Rodriguez, her staff, and many others.”

The State of Utah provided $30.3 million to the project in May 2022. A portion of the money will go to adding dedicated lanes on S.R. 224 for transit vehicles, school buses, and emergency vehicles. The purchase of five battery-powered busses, additional electric charging infrastructure, and the creation of two new transit stations are also part of the plan. The three existing stations will see improvements along with additional operational improvements at several intersections on S.R. 224.

“Many thanks to the Utah Congressional Delegation, especially Congressman Blake Moore, as well as the Utah Transportation Commission for their continued support of this project,” Chris Robinson, Summit County Council Chair, said. “This award elevates attention to our small, rural transit system to a national level and acknowledges the innovative approaches we’re employing to move people across the Wasatch Back.”

Pending an environmental review, the project will be finalized by Summit County in September, with the final design being chosen early in 2023.