Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced approximately $110 million in funding to eight public transportation providers and state DOTs to help communities recover from natural disasters.
The funding is provided through FTA's Public Transportation Emergency Relief (ER) Program. It will help agencies repair damaged equipment and facilities and recoup costs for evacuation and rescue operations following floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes that occurred in 2017 and 2020-22.
"As the climate crisis accelerates, extreme weather is disrupting not just American lives and communities, but also the infrastructure we rely on every day," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Under President Biden, DOT is delivering much-needed funding to transit agencies to recover and rebuild after these disasters, while we continue our work to combat climate change across every mode of transportation."
"Americans cannot stop their lives because a disaster damages their transit systems," said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. "We know it is critical to fund recovery efforts for these systems, so they can keep taking Americans to work, school, doctors' appointments, and other important destinations."
Funding will go to the following public transportation providers and DOTs:
- Hillsborough Regional Transit (HART) will receive $2.1 million for providing emergency services during Hurricane Ian in 2022;
- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is receiving $420,000 for a tornado from Dec. 2021;
- The Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District will receive $18.6 million to rehabilitate the Pointe à la Hache Ferry Crossing, which has been damaged by several major storms, including Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017 and Hurricane Ida in 2021;
- The New Jersey Transit Corporation will receive $75 million for Hurricane Ida in 2021.
For a full list of funding, click here.
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Source: USDOT
