Fund the design of the expansion and upgrade to the lrtas existing fixed route maintenance and operations facility located at 100 hale ST

The Federal Transit Administration awarded the Lowell Regional Transit Authority $432,203 on June 12, 2026, under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) to fund engineering design services for the expansion and upgrade of the agency's fixed-route maintenance and operations facility located at 100 Hale Street, Lowell, Massachusetts.

LRTA will use the design to support fleet expansion as the agency increases service across its 15-member service area. The facility currently maintains and stores the agency's fixed-route bus fleet and provides workspace for operations staff. The design work will establish the foundation for a separate construction-phase award to follow. The period of performance extends through June 30, 2029. The award obligates $432,203 with no sub-recipients identified.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to fund the design of the expansion and upgrade to the lrtas existing fixed route maintenance and operations facility located at 100 hale ST. Lowell MA. As lrta expands service over the next few years an expansion is necessary to accommodate the increase in the lrtas fleet size.

Activities

This award includes the engineering design services for the expansion and upgrades to the existing fixed route maintenance and operations facility.

Expected outcomes

This award will fund the design of the expansion to the fixed route maintenance and operations facility which is necessary to ensure proper maintenance safe vehicle storage and staffing needs can be accommodated as lrta increases service and the number of buses in its fixed route fleet. Lrta will use the design as the foundation of the procurement for the construction phase which will be in a separate award.

Intended beneficiaries

The ridership of the lrta service area. Lrta operates 75 or fewer buses in fixed-route service during peak service hours. The lowell regional transit authority (lrta) provides public transportation services within 15 member communities: lowell acton billerica carlisle chelmsford dracut dunstable groton maynard pepperell tewksbury tyngsboro townsend westford and wilmington. The lrta provides fixed route bus service to six (6) communities a demand-responsive service to ten (10) communities for elderly and disabled persons special minibus service to (12) regional councils on aging and a shuttle which services all major business and tourist sites in the city of lowell. The lrta also assists the massachusetts BAY transportation authority (mbta) commuter rail system which operates via keolis daily commuter trains between lowell and north station in boston MA.