CityLink Receives $11 Million in Grants from IDOT as Part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program
The Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (CityLink) was awarded $11 million in grants from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) as part of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois Capital Program, which provides capital grants to downstate public transit agencies. It was awarded $8 million to use for the current rebuild and renovation of its bus maintenance and operations facilities. It was awarded another $3 million to use for exterior upgrades to the Downtown Peoria Transit Center facility.
“CityLink is pleased to receive a combined $11 million in funding from IDOT through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program. This funding will assist us in continuing to move forward with our maintenance and operations facilities construction project that is currently underway, and with an upcoming exterior upgrade project at the Transit Center,” said CityLink General Manager Doug Roelfs. “This funding is critical in allowing our transit agency to grow and provide the Greater Peoria Area with improved and innovative public transportation services,” continued Roelfs.
CityLink’s original maintenance facility was built in 1978, and according to IDOT, it is one of the oldest bus maintenance facilities in the State of Illinois. Other funding CityLink has received for upgrading its facilities includes: $10.4 million grant (2020) from IDOT as part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program with an additional $6 million from IDOT as local match support funding; $10 million grant (2020) and $3.6 million grant (2018) from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program.
Phase A of the maintenance and operations facilities project, a new rear paint/body shop, is currently in progress at the CityLink facilities located at 2105 NE Jefferson Ave., and it is expected to be completed in April 2022. Phase B of the project will begin once Phase A concludes, and it includes the demolition of the 1978 garage facility, the construction of a new three-story maintenance, operations and administrative building and new visitor parking.
Future upgrades planned for the Transit Center facility located at 407 SW Adams include new benches, striping and installing new wayfinding signage.