On June 5, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy announced that the Rapides Area Planning Commission will receive $384,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The allocation of federal funding to the Rapides Area Planning Commission comes as a result of a bi-partisan law called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a U.S. House Bill co-authored by Sen. Cassidy. In a statement on the passage of the IIJA, Cassidy stated the act was a “major victory for Louisiana and our nation.”
“This bipartisan bill is the right way to reinvest in our country.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, (R) Louisiana
Federal funds set to be given to the Rapides Area Planning Commission will go towards improvements targeting people with disabilities and elderly adults in Central Louisiana’s transportation network.
Under current projections, the funds will go towards the construction of a new training and vehicle inspection center for transit vehicles with the overall goal of “enhancing the coordinated delivery of service across a multi-parish service area.” According to Senator Cassidy’s Office, the center will be used by six rural-based transit providers and 13 transit providers focused on the transportation of the elderly and people with disabilities.
According to Cassidy, this federal investment will help Rapides Parish set its transportation network up for success for future years to come.
“Elderly and disabled Louisianans in rural areas should be able to rely on our transportation system to get around. This funding from the infrastructure law helps Rapides Parish catch up to 2024 and build a future for 2050.”
Senator Bill Cassidy, (R) Louisiana