The city of Bismarck will receive $1.4 million to purchase new buses for Bis-Man Transit.

The money comes through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, otherwise known as the federal stimulus package.

Robin Werre, executive director of Bis-Man Transit, said the money will allow the service to buy three new paratransit buses and two new fixed-route buses.

Paratransit buses are the smaller buses that go door-to-door, while the fixed-route buses are larger and assigned to specific routes.

Werre said the buses have been ordered, and it will take more than a year before delivery is made.

Werre said the large buses cost more than a quarter of a million dollars.

"This is 100 percent money, so there is no local match," she said.

In the past, Werre said the smaller buses have been used to run the routes normally run by the larger buses, and the funds will enable Bis-Man Transit to provide more seats on the longer routes.

She said the service provides about 180,000 rides to residents annually.

Werre said the funds also will allow the service to purchase a skid-steer loader for snow removal, as well as help pay for water main repairs at the transit facility.

Werre said, as part of the application process for the funding, they were not required to outline how the award would provide job creation in the city.

"At the time it was not required, but it will be in some of the follow-up information," she said.

Werre said the stimulus funding came together rather quickly around the first of the year.

At the time, she said state officials told her to put a "wish list" together.

Since then, Werre said she has been told she may be asked about job creation and wages as part of the follow-up procress.

While no jobs were directly created, she said the purchase of the Bobcat skid-steer loader and work on the water main provided economic benefit to local businesses.

(Reach reporter Brian Gehring 250-8254 or brian.gehring@bismarcktribune.com.)