American Rescue Plan Act Funding Now Available
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
“Formula funding under the American Rescue Plan Act will be made available this week and eligible funding recipients can begin developing and submitting their grant applications to the Department immediately,” FTA reported on March 29. (Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
The $30.5 billion in COVID-19 relief from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is now available for public transportation, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reported on March 29.
President Joe Biden signed the Act on March 11. (See “COVID-19 Rescue Package Signed: What’s in Store for Transit and Amtrak,” by Railway Age Contributing Editor David Peter Alan.) The relief includes $26.6 billion to be allocated by statutory formulas to urban and rural areas, to tribal governments, and for the enhanced mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities, as well as $2.2 billion for FTA grant recipients in communities that demonstrate additional pandemic-associated needs. The funding will be available at the 100% federal share and primarily directed to operations and payroll, according to FTA. Additionally, $1.7 billion is provided for projects in the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program and $25 million for competitive planning grants.
“Formula funding under the American Rescue Plan Act will be made available this week and eligible funding recipients can begin developing and submitting their grant applications to the Department immediately,” FTA reported. “Competitive funds will be made available through Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) published in the Federal Register and grants will be awarded following a competitive review and project selection process based on criteria outlined in the NOFOs.”
To provide more details, FTA is hosting an American Rescue Plan Act Webinar on April 2. Stakeholder resources are also available on its website, in addition to information on Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding ($25 billion) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) funding ($14 billion).
