Transportation improvements are the focus of Manchin’s visit | Times West Virginian
Everyone likes to be commended for what they do — for how their business is accepted by the general public.
If one is in the Army and the general drops by, that person wants everything to be spotlessly clean.
If one commands a public building and a?U.S. senator drops by, well, he wants the senator to think the best of his business.
That’s what happened Wednesday when U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., dropped by to see the Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority’s new transfer station located at 401 Monroe St.
It’s something people who don’t ride the transit authority buses would probably not notice. But considering the many people who do ride the buses every day, it’s a most welcome building that among other things protects them from the rain and snow during inclement weather.
George Levitsky, certified community transit manager, was quite proud to show off his new quarters — purchased in 2009 with FMCTA money for when a useful purpose for the building could be found.
The transfer station became the target of that savings, with the result being a building that was made much more aesthetically pleasing. A tin roof was constructed to resemble one from the 1920s when the building was originally constructed.
Two points of interest resulted from the U.S. senator’s visit.
One was the fact that Levitsky said this transfer station was made possible by the people of Marion County because of the levy passed.
“We are very fortunate countywide to have a levy,” Levitsky said.
There are 300 to 400 people a day who pass through the transfer station and have a building they can be proud of, he noted.
Manchin praised the station as well, saying that over the years, the building had served many different businesses and it was wonderful to see transportation being treated “with this quality, this cleanliness.”
But even more important, he mentioned the five-year transportation bill that was recently passed. Stating he hadn’t seen such a bill passed since 2005, he pointed out that West Virginia will receive $2.3 billion over a five-year period.
This bill, he said, gives the state the chance to plan and do the maintenance and repairs needed to the secondary roads.
And more to the point, Manchin said that patching has been done the past few years. “Now it’s time to resurface the roads.”
We would all say “amen” to that.
Next Article Previous Article
