METRO LINK world of funding out there, it’s as purse as how well your congressional folks push for stuff . You’ve got to get them involved, you’ve got to get them to understand the value of seeking funding for you on your behalf. “A lot of times … it’s not to say I’ve got to have something, a lot of times it’s just talking about what we’re doing and some of the strategic elements we’re working on.” In 2005, Nelson asked the transit and maintenance manager of the city of Bettendorf, which is across the river, to look over the plans for the building as someone not invested in the system, another set of eyes looking at it from a maintenance perspective. Later, he was brought on as a consultant. Today, Matt Simaytis is the director of maintenance at MetroLINK. In April of 2014 the building was complete and they moved everything from one building to the other. Simaytis said, “We didn’t have the opportunity to miss any service because we run every day.” Nelson said service left in one garage and came back that night to a diff erent one. When talking about differences between the buildings, one of the first things Simaytis spoke of was the efficiency for fueling. In the previous garage it was a 45-minute process to fuel a bus and get it parked, as the fueling site was off site. And whether or not there would be room to park inside was also an issue. Today, if everything’s going smoothly, it’s a 12-minute process and it now includes cleaning and washing the bus. Th e CNG fueling station is indoors at this facility and all of the vehicles, including the ferry boats, are parked indoors. A unique aspect of the facility is that everybody goes through the same door. Administrators, maintenance folks, bus operators, everyone enters through the same entrance. Nelson explained, “By bringing everybody to the same level, it’s easier to have conversations … a lot of conversations can occur that don’t normally happen.” 16 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | MARCH 2017 METROLINK HAS a community policing office in its transit center, including two K9s and handlers. Sheriff Bill and German Shepherd Dog “Beni” conduct some practice in the garage. Mass Transit THE SOUTHPARK Mega Stop connects with the SouthPark mall, including a covered platform, real-time signage, lighting, seating and real-time information inside the mall. Moline Multi-Modal Station Funding By the Numbers $10M TIGER II Grant $4,943,250 State of IL Capital Assistance Grant $1,691,000 Local Funding $16,634,250 Total Public Funding
MassTransit_March_2017
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