U.S. Senator Ron Wyden release - Washington, D.C. – Friday, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding $11.5 million to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on behalf of Coos County Area Transportation, Yamhill County Transit Area, and Benton Area Transit to acquire and maintain new buses.  The federal investment will help support and expand regional transit networks by purchasing, leasing, or rehabilitating buses, and the facilities and equipment required to keep them operating safely.  “Strong regional transit networks allow everyone in the community to get to work, go to school, and visit loved ones in a safe and reliable way,” said Merkley. “These strong federal investments will go a long way to expand and strengthen Oregon’s transportation networks and boost the local economies.”  “A big-league economy needs big-league infrastructure, and regional transit plays a huge role in those infrastructure demands throughout Oregon,” said Wyden. “I’m gratified these federal investments are heading to our state to help Oregonians get from point A to point B, and I’ll keep battling for similar investments around Oregon.”  The federal investments are directed toward ODOT on behalf of:  Coos County Area Transportation District’s Coos Transit Center & Mobility Hub: $8,839,155; Yamhill County-Yamhill County Transit Area (YCTA)’s Yamhill County Transit Bus Replacement Project: $1,921,000; Benton County’s Benton Area Transit ADA-Compliant Vehicle Replacement and Fleet Sustainability Project: $833,000.