Durbin Visits Macomb Transit Facility
Senator Secured $5.6 Million in Federal Funding in Support of the Facility's Construction
[MACOMB, IL] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) visited the Macomb Transit Facility today to see firsthand how the new facility is functioning as a central hub for mass transit service in McDonough County. The facility was built from repurposed factory space with the help of a $12.8 million federal investment, including $5.6 million in earmarks secured by Durbin beginning in 2002.
“The Macomb Transit Facility is an example of the value of federal investment in transportation projects,” Durbin said. “Since the facility opened this spring, it has provided a central maintenance center for buses and vans and a training hub for their drivers, ensuring quality service for the hardworking families, seniors and students who depend on these vehicles to get around. The transit facility was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.”
The facility houses the administrative offices, dispatch centers, driver training, bus and van storage, fueling station, a vehicle wash building and vehicle maintenance center for the McDonough County Public Transportation Program (MCPT), which includes Western Illinois University's Go West transit system. Vehicle maintenance for Hancock County Public Transportation is also performed at the facility.
Building the facility involved the renovation of a former manufacturing facility on East Pierce Street in Macomb. A portion of the building was demolished and the remaining 80,000 square feet was renovated, incorporating "green" technology into the project including solar tracking skylights, high efficiency heating and cooling, reflective roof materials and well-insulated walls and ceilings. Of the project’s total $14.9 million cost, $12.8 million was provided by the federal government, $2 million by the state and $57,000 by the local government.