[StBernard] St. Bernard bus system to be running by year's end

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard bus system to be running by year's end
Posted by St. Bernard bureau August 20, 2007 3:20PM
St. Bernard bureau 

Armed with $2.7 million in federal grants, St. Bernard Parish officials hope
to have a public bus system up and running by year's end. 

The parish has not had a fixed-route public transit system since Hurricane
Katrina. 

A parish news release says the grant money will pay for 11 buses and
equipment, as well help with operating costs such as fuel and salaries. 

Lonnie Campbell, the parish's director of public transportation, said the
U.S. Department of Transportation announced the grants earlier this month --
$1.7 million for buses and equipment and $1 million to help cover
operational costs. 

"We lost everything, buses and benches and covered shelters," Campbell said
in the news release. 

Campbell said the department would probably buy 10 wheelchair-accessible,
16-passenger mini-buses and one 45-foot motorcoach. The buses would have
video surveillance systems. 

According to the news release, Campbell said the system could be running
within 120 days. 

The parish is also using federal money to build new sidewalks, benches and
shelters along routes.