FTA Announces Disaster Relief Funding for Transit

A $212 million program is aimed at helping transit agencies and cities affected by flooding, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters maintain transit operations and boost the resilience of their systems.

1 minute read

March 27, 2023, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


A sign indicates closures on the New York Subway as the result of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Announcement on New York City subway during Hurricane Ida, when floodwaters breached the city's subway system. | Ameer Mussard-Afcari / Shutterstock

“The Federal Transit Administration is making $212 million available to transit systems in areas affected by federally-declared disasters in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022, according to a document published in the Federal Register Monday.” Dan Zukowski outlines the story in Smart Cities Dive.

The funding, known as the Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program, is available to transit agencies and local and tribal governmental authorities and is designated for “emergency operations, emergency protective measures, emergency repairs and permanent repairs.” Zukowski notes that eligible projects do not include lost fare revenue or fare cards, issues many transit agencies that relied heavily on fare revenue are struggling with.

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