WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded $11.52 million to 69 motorcoach companies under the fiscal 2010 Intercity Bus Security Grant Program.

The amount awarded this year was down slightly from that given last year, while the number of companies getting money was roughly the same.

The fiscal 2009 grants totaled $11.66 million and went to 71 companies. In fiscal 2008, $11.17 million was awarded to 49 companies; in fiscal 2007, 11.64 million was awarded to 39 companies; in fiscal 2006, $9.5 million went to 35 companies, and fiscal 2005, 25 companies received $9.66 million.

The small number of recipients in fiscal 05 resulted from tougher restrictions that year on who could apply. Subsequently, the rules were modified, resulting in more companies getting money in recent years.

The 2010 grants mark the eighth consecutive year the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded money to private bus operators to make security improvements.

A total of just over $95 million in taxpayer dollars have flowed from the federal treasury to private operators during the past eight years.

However, 39 percent of that money has gone to one company Greyhound Lines, which has received nearly $37 million. Greyhounds fiscal 2010 grant was $4.2 million, up from $3.67 million in fiscal 2009.

Academy Express of Hoboken, N.J. was awarded $326,153 this year, compared to $1.35 million last year and $836,953 two years ago. Peter Pan Lines of Springfield, Mass., was awarded $842,798 this year, $256,749 last year and $674,865 two years ago.

Coach USA received $64,787 this year, versus $444,075 last year, while CUSA got $886,967 this year, compared to $699,641 last year.

The Intercity Bus Security Grant Program has always been weighted in favor of the industrys five largest coach operators. In recent years, the five companies that have more than 250 over-the-road buses have received 55 percent of the money. Prior to three years ago, the five companies received as much as 70 percent of the grant money.

Because the security grant program has two "tiers" one for the largest operators and the other for everyone else, smaller operators do not have to "compete" directly with the industry giants for money.

The dollar breakdown for fiscal 2010 was:

Tier I: $6.34 million for operators that have 250 or more over-the-road buses.

Tier II: $5.18 million for operators that own 249 or fewer over-the-road buses.

There are six operators in the U.S. with 250 or more motorcoaches that were eligible to compete for the $6.3 million, while the remaining 3,000+ U.S. operators with 249 or fewer coaches competed for the $5.2 million share.

Applicants this year were required to commit to a 25 percent match to be awarded a grant. That means operators getting grants this year must pony up a total of $2.88 million.

Operators applying this year also were required to have both a company security plan and a vulnerability assessment that had to be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security

There is no minimum number of motorcoaches necessary for an operator to apply, but those seeking the money must provide at least 50 trips annually into areas the Department of Homeland Security has determined to be most at risk of a terrorist attack.

Operators typically use the grant money to install security cameras and fencing, buy passenger or explosive screening equipment, install driver shields, and add global positioning satellite tracking and vehicle communication systems to their coaches. Thousands of coaches now have sophisticated GPS systems today as a result of the security grant program, aiding operators in ways that go far beyond security.