SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey-Salinas Transit’s plans to finish building a South County Operations and Maintenance Facility in King City are being realized, following the Oct. 29 approval of a $8.45 million loan with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The funding, part of the DOT’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Rural Project Initiative, is the second such loan approved under the federal agency.
“This loan was critical to completing the financing needed to finish construction, and we worked collaboratively with our colleagues at the Build America Bureau to close this loan in record time,” said Carl Sedoryk, MST general manager.
The 14,000-square-foot facility will serve as a base of operations in South Monterey County for MST bus services, with the aim of reducing deadhead mileage, fuel usage, maintenance and labor costs and risk of mechanical issues. There is currently no storage, parking or operation and maintenance facility in the area.
The facility’s groundbreaking ceremony was held July 10, and the construction is expected to be finished by the fall of 2021. The future facility will be located on East San Antonio Avenue.
“Accessible and affordable public transportation is vital for our way of life on the Central Coast. That’s why it’s important that our transportation agencies have access to capital for the resources necessary to adequately and safely operate in our many cities,” said Jimmy Panetta, congressman from California’s 20th district. “This TIFIA loan will help MST with its operations throughout the Salinas Valley and further allow it to fulfill its goal of providing quality transportation services to everybody in every one of our communities.”
For MST schedule information, visit mst.org or call 1-888-MST-BUS1.
