California State Transportation Agency announced that San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) will receive $6.8 million in a competitive grant to complete the funding needed to implement two new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes along the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Corridor and Crosstown Miner Corridor in Stockton. RTD’s project is one of only 14 projects selected, totaling over $224 million, that will be funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund using proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions.
The MLK Corridor and Crosstown Miner Corridor projects will provide the infrastructure and buses needed to expand RTD’s BRT system, branded as Metro Express. In line with RTD’s efforts to build a better transportation system, this new service will greatly improve the efficiency, connectivity, and convenience of bus service in the project area. The service will include limited stops with high-frequency service. Passenger shelters, benches, off-board fare vending machines, and other passenger amenities will be constructed at each stop. The new routes combined will span over 10 miles of roadway in the downtown and south Stockton areas. These areas include communities with extraordinary economic challenges that have been targeted for revitalization by the City of Stockton.
The grant funding is part of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, implemented by the California State Transportation Authority in coordination with the California Air Resources Board. This newly created competitive grant is for the purpose of supporting high-quality public transportation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions causing worldwide climate change. The program includes a particular focus on addressing the transportation needs of disadvantaged communities that are disproportionally affected by economic and environmental challenges.
“RTD is excited to proceed with its plans to expand its BRT service to Stockton communities that will greatly benefit from faster and more convenient transportation to work, school, shops, and more,” said RTD’s General Manager/CEO Donna DeMartino. “This project will build upon RTD’s existing and highly successful BRT network of three routes that serve the Pacific, Airport, and Hammer corridors. The project is a product of RTD’s mission to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system for the region.”