Orange County and CoachUSA/Shortline have a signed capital cost contract that will provide for a $13.9 million investment in the region”™s public transportation infrastructure, as the bus company proceeds with plans to build its new regional facility in Chester”™s Tetz Industrial Park. The 50-acre property was bought by CoachUSA/Shortline in 2006.
Construction will be aided by a new mechanism for passing through Federal Transit Administration funds to support the public transit services CoachUSA/Shortline provides in and through Orange.
“This has been a long time coming and has only been made possible by the concerted efforts of all the parties involved. This is a prime example of the public and private sectors working together for the benefit of the public at large, especially those in Orange County,” said George Grieve, general manager of Coach USA Northern District and president of Shortline.
The federal share of the first payment is $2.188 million.  New York state”™s share of about $273,000 will follow. A total of almost $13.9 million in funding, approved by the Federal Transit Administration and New York state, is authorized by the county Legislature for this new program. The local match is provided by CoachUSA/Shortline. Future payments will be based on capital expenses as they are reported by the transit company to the county, state and federal governments.
“Public transit and community transportation services are vital to residents of the county and this new funding relationship will allow us to improve those services,” said John Czamanske, deputy commissioner of planning.
CoachUSA/Shortline”™s new facility will be “green,” with buses maintained in an enclosed structure that will filter out airborne contaminants. It expects to create more than 200 jobs when the building is completed in 2012.
