The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation is allocating nearly $110 million to aid in the recovery efforts of eight public transportation providers and state Departments of Transportation across six states and one U.S. territory, following recent natural disasters. This financial support, facilitated through FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief (ER) Program, is directed towards repairing damaged equipment and facilities, as well as covering costs related to evacuation and rescue operations resulting from floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes occurring between 2017 and 2020-22.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of funding to rebuild infrastructure affected by extreme weather due to the escalating climate crisis. FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez echoed this sentiment, highlighting the critical need to support recovery efforts to ensure uninterrupted transit services for Americans.
“As the climate crisis accelerates, extreme weather is disrupting not just American lives and communities, but also the infrastructure we rely on every day,” Pete said. “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.”
The funding recipients include:
– Hillsborough Regional Transit (HART) in Hillsborough County, Florida: $2.1 million for emergency services during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
– Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (on behalf of Fulton County Transit Authority): $420,000 for vehicle replacement after a December 2021 tornado in Mayfield County, Kentucky.
– Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District in Louisiana: $18.6 million for the rehabilitation of Pointe à la Hache Ferry Crossing damaged by various storms.
– New Jersey Transit Corporation: $75 million for repairs and relocation of a facility damaged during Hurricane Ida in 2021.
– Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority: $201,160 for emergency response operating costs following a December 2022 blizzard in New York.
– Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority: Nearly $13.2 million for rehabilitation of Tren Urbano rail system facilities after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
– Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (Arroyo): $6,769 to repair a maintenance facility damaged during Hurricane Maria in 2017.
– Brazos Transit District in central and east Texas: $400,000 for repairing a maintenance facility damaged in a February 2021 winter storm.
The ER program not only supports the repair and replacement of damaged equipment and facilities but also covers evacuation, rescue, and temporary public transportation service costs. This announcement marks the second round of grants under the FY 2023 program, with the funding provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
