Harlingen, San Benito to get transit funding

HARLINGEN - The Texas Department of Transportation awarded funds to support public transportation across the state, which could help Rio Metro Harlingen minimize the city's match and go towards keeping the local bus system running, officials said.

The TxDOT funding will help the system run here for approximately an additional year, said Tomas Reyna, the assistant director of regional transit for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved $36.4 million in funding at a meeting held in June, according to a TxDOT news release.

The Harlingen-San Benito urbanized area will receive $133,275, TxDOT announced Tuesday.

Eric Gleason, TxDOT's director of public transportation, said the funding would sustain transit costs for capital and operational expenses for small urban and non-urbanized public transportation systems.

The money will also help with the higher than anticipated increases in fuel costs, Gleason said.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council operates Rio Metro Harlingen system. Reyna said the money would benefit the local system.

"We didn't expect it," Reyna said Tuesday. "We hoped for it and we got it."

Kenneth Jones, executive director of the LRGVDC, said this year's TxDOT funding increase "is key" to keeping public transportation afloat.

"This adds revenue to off-set costs, which can minimize the local match for (Harlingen)," Jones said. "This will help; we're proud to serve the city."

Around the Valley, Brownsville received $535,546 and McAllen will get $520,944, TxDOT stated.