The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has taken a significant step toward aiding transit agencies and states in their recovery from recent natural disasters by disbursing $102.3 million through its Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program. This funding will help repair damaged equipment and facilities, as well as cover costs associated with evacuation and rescue operations in the aftermath of floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes that occurred between 2017 and 2022.

 
Seventeen transit agencies, state departments of transportation, cities, and planning councils in eight states and U.S. territories are set to benefit from this relief fund. The FTA's Emergency Relief Program serves as a vital support system for public transit operators following a declared emergency or major disaster. The program's scope includes financing equipment and facility repairs, offsetting evacuation and rescue operation expenses, and restoring, expanding, or relocating services impacted by the disaster.

Among the beneficiaries of this funding are the Florida Department of Transportation, which will receive over $3.9 million for facility repairs and operating emergency services following Hurricane Ian, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, granted over $3.8 million for facility repairs stemming from severe storms, flooding, and landslides in the summer of 2022.

The FTA highlights that the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, enacted in December 2022, has facilitated this emergency relief support for declared disasters in the years 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2022. This $102.3 million allocation is just the initial round of grants through the Emergency Relief Program. The FTA will continue to welcome applications from affected transit agencies and communities for an additional 90-day period.

https://aashtojournal.transportation.org/fta-issues-102m-in-disaster-relief-to-17-agencies/