LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company is celebrating an upgrade.
Construction began on the transit company's new Operations and Maintenance Facility in 2015, and earlier this week, staff hosted an official opening ceremony.
The facility is 50,000 square feet and features state-of-the-art technology. It also has eight bus maintenance bays, a wash bay, and fully secured parking for all the buses.
Before the move, GLTC was operating out of a property on Kemper Street which was much smaller and much older, a risky combination for expensive vehicles.
"The vehicles that we have are nearly a half-million dollars apiece so being able to maintain those for their entire life, about 12 years, is very important. We invest a lot of money in those vehicles so being able to maintain them in the service of their life is so important," said Brian Booth, GLTC general manager.
The funding for the massive $23 million move came from a combination of federal, state and city funds designated for transportation upgrades.
Booth says the transit company serves about 125,000 passengers per month.