FTA funds PA bus hub
- The FTA broke ground on a new bus maintenance and operations facility in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. - The project is supported by $17 million in FTA grants for the facility build-out. - Continued federal capital investment like this underwrites local reliability projects and creates consulting opportunities for implementation support (x.com).
Monroe County’s transit agency has started building a new bus depot in Swiftwater, using federal money to move buses and repairs indoors. (wvia.org) The Monroe County Transportation Authority broke ground on April 17 for the $32 million Wayne P. Mazur Sr. Bus Depot, a 44,000-square-foot facility that officials call the biggest expansion in Pocono Pony’s 47-year history. (wvia.org) Board records show the agency scheduled the groundbreaking for April 17 with Federal Transit Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials attending, and approved a $14.605 million general construction contract in March. (gomcta.com) The new depot is meant to solve a basic operating problem: buses now sit outside in winter weather, which can delay pullouts, strain diesel and compressed natural gas vehicles, and expose equipment to theft and vandalism. (wvia.org) Chief Executive Officer Rich Schlameuss said Pocono Pony shut down twice for full days during the winter of 2026 because crews could not dig out and prepare buses fast enough for service. (wvia.org) The agency runs a 59-bus fleet, including 14 fixed-route vehicles, and provided more than 230,000 fixed-route trips and another 80,000 paratransit trips last year. (wvia.org) Federal Transit Administration bus-facility grants are designed for projects like this one: replacing or rehabilitating buses, buying related equipment, and constructing bus-related facilities, with projects awarded through a competitive process. (transit.dot.gov) The Federal Transit Administration said on February 20, 2026, that it had selected about $390 million for 34 bus and bus-facility projects nationwide in the latest round, after announcing roughly $2 billion for bus and low- or no-emission projects in November 2025. (transit.dot.gov) Pocono Pony’s public mission is countywide mobility for residents, workers, and visitors, and the depot is aimed at making that service less vulnerable to snow, cold starts, and overnight exposure. (gomcta.com) When the building opens, the change for riders is simple: more of Monroe County’s buses should start the day ready to leave the garage instead of being dug out of a parking lot. (wvia.org)
