Big Sky Times

FUNDING WILL COME FROM THE SENATOR’S INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT

In his continued effort to improve and expand critical transportation infrastructure in Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester secured $39,142,124 for a new central electric bus facility in Missoula. The funding, which came from the Senator’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will be awarded to the Missoula Urban Transportation District for the construction of the Mountain Line Maintenance Operation and Transportation Base. This facility will help move Mountain Line closer to their goal of reaching zero tailpipe emissions by 2035. 

“Reliable, affordable public transit plays a key role in supporting our state’s economy and creating good-paying Montana jobs,” said Tester. “This funding for a new central Mountain Line operations facility will make waves in the Missoula community by increasing traffic to local businesses, lowering costs for commuters, and improving the efficiency of our public transportation system. Projects like this one are what the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is all about, and I’m proud to have played a role in getting this done.”

Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House. Tester’s law is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

Tester secured significant wins for Montana in the legislation, including $2.82 billion for Montana’s roads, highways and bridges; $2.5 billion to complete all authorized Indian water rights settlements; $1 billion to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation; $65 billion to deploy broadband to areas across the country that lack internet access and additionally make online connectivity affordable; and $3.37 billion to reduce wildfire risk nationwide, among others. A full list of Montana provisions in Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure law can be found HERE.

Original source can be found here.