WASHINGTON Ninety-one motorcoach companies from across the U.S. have been awarded grants to help pay for installing wheelchair lifts in their buses or to buy new coaches with lifts.

The grants, totaling $7.4 million, were awarded under the U.S. Department of Transportation Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program, which has been around for seven years.

Although the federal government is nearly three months into fiscal 2007, the latest wheelchair lift grants are for fiscal 2006.

The Federal Transit Administration, which administers the program, provided no explanation for the tardiness of its announcement of the FY 06 grants.

Of the $7.4 million awarded, $5.6 million went to intercity bus lines and $1.8 million went to other types of operators, including commuter, charter and tour providers. Nearly 38 percent of the money -- $2.8 million -- went to Greyhound Lines.

A total of 127 operators submitted applications, seeking $35.1 million, with $17.3 million requested by line-run companies, and $17.8 million sought by other types of operators.

The FTA said its selections were based on three factors -- each applicant's responsiveness to criteria laid out in the law that created the program, fleet size, and level of funding received in previous years.

Because demand for the money exceeded supply, most successful applicants received far less funding than requested, and those applicants "with weaker applications were not selected for funding," the FTA said.

The grant winners will add lifts to 94 new vehicles, retrofit lifts on 118 vehicles, and use $70,765 for training.

Each company that applied will receive a letter that explains how the FTA made its funding decisions.

Questions about the grants should be directed to the FTA regional administrator in the area where the operator is located. Go to the FTA Web site www.fta.dot.gov -- for a list of FTA regional offices. For general information about the program, contact Blenda Younger of the FTA Office of Program Management at (202) 366-2053.

FTA Region I

Concord Coach Lines $90,600
Concord, N.H.

Northeast Charter/Tour $43,599
Lewiston, Maine

Peter Pan Arrow Line $40,000
Springfield, Mass.

Peter Pan Bonanza $88,381
Springfield

Peter Pan Bus Lines $144,755
Springfield

Plymouth & Brockton $55,620
Plymouth, Mass.

Premier Coach Co. $28,405
Colchester, Vt.

FTA Region II

Adirondack Trailways $157,500
Hurley, N.Y.

Classic Tours $29,170
Lakewood, N.J.

Hampton Jitney $30,137
Southampton, N.Y.

J&R Tours Ltd. $25,200
Mount Vernon, N.Y.

Lion Trailways $58,000
Rio Grande, N.J.

Region III:

Anderson Coach/Travel $33,389
Greenville, Pa.

Butler Motor Transit $39,000
Butler, Pa.

Capitol Trailways $110,900
Harrisburg, Pa.

David Thomas Tours $26,200
Philadelphia

Dillon's Bus Service $23,500
Millersville, Md.

Edenfield Stages $41,000
Greensburg, Pa.

Fullington Trailways $86,230
Clearfield, Pa.

Fun Tours $33,692
Virginia Beach, Va.

Gold Line $162,000
Tuxedo, Md.

Keller Transportation $97,730
Waldorf, Md.

Lodestar Bus Lines $28,000
Johnstown, Pa.

Martz Trailways $137,800
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

National Coach Works $40,000
Fredericksburg, Va.

Sun Coach Lines $26,499
McKeesport, Pa.

Trans-Bridge Lines $130,950
Bethlehem, Pa.

FTA Region IV

American Charters Ltd. $23,500
Charlotte, N.C.

American Coach Lines $23,500
Norcross, Ga.

American Coach Lines $26,200
Jacksonville, Fla.

American Coach Lines $22,500
Orlando, Fla.

Angelic Tours/Shuttles $40,000
Fayetteville, NC

Burke International $25,392
Maiden, N.C.

Capital Trailways $25,492
Montgomery, Ala.

First Class Coach Co. $32,500
St. Petersburg, Fla.

Florida Cruise Connect. $21,250
Sarasota, Fla.

KTC Transportation Co. $41,000
Charlotte, N.C.

Magic Carpet Ride $24,901
Vero Beach, Fla.

Midnight Sun Tours $46,000
Lake Worth, Fla.

Morgan & Sons $41,000
Greensboro, N.C.

Southern Coach Co. $29,800
Durham, N.C.

Starkville Trailways $46,856
Starkville, Miss.

FTA Region V

Able Trek Tours Inc. $15,007
Reedsburg, Wis.

Colonial Coach Lines $146,000
Mt. Prospect, Ill.

Indian Trails Inc. $26,100
Owosso, Mich.

Jefferson Lines $77,670
Minneapolis

K&K Bus Lines $25,000
Montgomery, Ind.

Lakefront Lines $75,600
Brook Park, Ohio

Minnesota Coaches $30,760
Hastings, Minn.
Prairie Trailways $25,300
Chicago
Ready Bus Line $25,962
La Crescent, Minn.
Riteway Bus Service $98,577
Richfield, Wis.
Wisconsin Coach Lines $90,000
Waukesha, Wis.

FTA Region VI
All Aboard America $79,300
Santa Fe, N.M.
Americanos USA  $37,800
Dallas
Arrow Trailways Texas $23,462
Killeen, Texas
Crucero USA  $113,400
Dallas
El Expreso Bus Co. $49,600
Houston
ElPaso-Los Angeles Limo $107,865
El Paso, Texas
Greyhound Lines  $2,803,950
Dallas, TX
Gulf Coast Transport. $42,310
Houston, Texas
Kerrville Bus Co. $48,600
San Antonio, Texas
Star Shuttle & Charter $40,118
San Antonio
TNM&O   $83,700
Lubbock, Texas

FTA Region VII
Arrow Stage Lines $28,000
Norfolk, Neb.
B&B Tour & Charter $35,000
Kansas City, Mo.
Burlington Trailways $83,985
W. Burlington, Iowa

FTA Region VIII

Ramblin Express $26,200
Colorado Springs

FTA Region IX

Alan Waxler Group Inc. $40,547
Las Vegas, Nev.

All West Coachlines $39,155
Sacramento, Calif.

Amador Stage Lines $90,020
Sacramento, Calif.

Celebrity Coaches $42,990
Las Vegas

Chinese Hosts Inc. $38,837
Las Vegas

Coach USA Elko $40,950
Elko, Nev.

Coach USA Los Angeles $39,655
Long Beach, Calif.

El Camino Charter Lines $32,500
San Francisco

Franciscan Lines $36,955
San Francisco

Grand Tours $38,500
Las Vegas

H&L Charter Co. Inc. $26,200
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

LD Tours $42,000
Las Vegas

Polynesian Adventure $21,932
Honolulu

RDH Transportation $18,451
Honolulu

Ryan's Express $31,000
North Las Vegas

Silverado Stages $102,300
San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Solazteca $33,400
Los Angeles

Transportes Intercalif. $41,000
Los Angeles

Triple J Tours $21,995
Las Vegas

Via Adventures $28,706
Merced, Calif.

FTA Region X

Northwestern Trailways $36,000
Spokane, Wash.

Premier Alaska Tours $25,700
Anchorage

Wheatland Express $38,863
Pullman, Wash.