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5/7/2012
On Friday, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff attended the dedication of a new federally funded intermodal center in Greenfield, Mass.
The John W. Olver Intermodal Center will serve as a central transportation hub, soon providing riders with access to Amtrak’s Vermonter service, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials said in a prepared statement. The facility replaces the Franklin County transit hub.
The Vermonter line will undergo extensive improvements between Springfield and East Northfield, Mass., beginning this summer. The Olver center is expected to be energy neutral — meaning it was designed to save as much energy as it uses, FTA officials said. For example, the facility will use solar power to generate light and heat.
“With transit ridership at near-record levels across the country, it’s essential that we continue to invest in modern, sustainable transit facilities that make it easier for hard-working families in small cities like Greenfield to get to work, to school, to medical appointments and other destinations,” Rogoff said. “We continue to call on Congress to pass a long-term transportation bill that provides reliable funding for public transportation so more Americans can choose to spend less at the gas pump.”
The Olver center was funded with $15.1 million from the FTA, including $12.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The restored Amtrak service received $72.8 million in recovery act funds from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Later in the day, Rogoff also attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a 350-space parking garage to be built at the North Leominster Commuter Rail Station, one of several improvements planned along the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fitchburg line.