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AVTA Awarded $3.9 Million in latest TIRCP



AVTA Awarded $3.9 Million in latest round of Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program 
            
The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) announced another historic milestone in today’s board meeting, reporting that the agency has been awarded $3,902,000 in funding from the state transportation grant, known officially as Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and partially funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB1).

“This is AVTA’s sixth award from TIRCP, an achievement unmatched by any other transit agency,” said AVTA Chairman of the Board Marvin Crist. “We are very pleased with the success of the AVTA staff, especially our CFO Judy Vaccaro-Fry who successfully proposed all of these projects to the TIRCP. Congratulations, Judy on your sixth grant out of six rounds!” 

According to California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the sixth cycle of TIRCP grants will help kick-start new transit projects, create thousands of jobs, and put the state of California in a stronger position to compete for significant federal infrastructure funding.

Judy Vaccaro-Fry, AVTA’s CFO, presented a legislative update at April’s AVTA board meeting that included the announcement of the $3.9 million in funding for their request, entitled “High Desert Clean Connector.”

“This project creates a new, zero-emission commuter transit connection between the Antelope Valley and Victorville and includes the purchase of four zero‐emission buses,” stated Judy Vaccaro-Fry. “We are thrilled with the service to these communities that this funding makes possible.”

Victor Valley Transit Agency, who participated as co-applicant for this grant proposal with AVTA, will join AVTA in support of this project which is expected to have a total cost of $5,454,000. 

“Congratulations to both AVTA and VVTA, I look forward to seeing the progress of this project and the benefits it will bring to the region,” said 39th Assemblymember Juan Carrillo. “I am particularly proud to have spearheaded the initial conversations to make this route possible. This has been one of my top priorities since I was newly elected, and I am excited to see it come to fruition. I believe this project will significantly impact the local communities, providing a clean and efficient transportation option for the residents of the Antelope Valley and Victor Valley.

AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.