Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) announced today that the South Dakota Department of Transportation will receive five federal grants totaling more than $3 million from the Department of Transportation to upgrade transportation programs across the state. Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is working to ensure that cities and towns in South Dakota and across the nation have the federal investment they need to provide consumers with reliable public infrastructure that also helps to strengthen the economy and expand business growth.

“Public transportation systems are vital to many South Dakotans, connecting people to jobs, family and medical services.  These investments contribute to economic growth and the quality of life in communities across our state,” said Johnson. “This funding for the state Department of Transportation will help upgrade services across many communities and ensure that our infrastructure is more reliable and efficient. I will continue working to craft a strong surface transportation reauthorization that invests in local communities and puts us on a path to grow this economy.”

The South Dakota Department of Transportation will receive:

• a $480,000 grant to provide rural transit agencies statewide with upgraded routing software, featuring online booking and automated notifications to alert riders of delays and scheduling changes 
• a $116,000 grant to allow the City of Sioux Falls to purchase an additional paratransit van
• a $520,000 grant to allow River Cities Public Transit in Pierre to surface the parking area around their new bus facility 
• a $240,000 grant to allow Community Transit in Sisseton to increase fleet parking capacity in an existing bus garage
• a $1,680,000 grant to the City of Rapid City for vehicle replacement

The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee is responsible for oversight of our nation’s public transportation systems. As Chairman, Johnson has worked with the Administration to put transportation funding in place that strengthens investment in infrastructure across the country, including public transportation systems in South Dakota. He is also leading efforts to craft a strong reauthorization of the surface transportation bill, commonly called the highway bill, and fighting efforts by House Republicans to cut highway and public transportation funds by more than one-third.  

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