FTA Awards $110MM in Emergency Relief (UPDATED 2/7)

“Americans cannot stop their lives because a disaster damages their transit systems,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said Feb. 5. “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.”

New Jersey Transit (NJT), Tren Urbano, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) are among the eight public transportation providers and state Departments for Transportation (DOT) that will share nearly $110 million in natural-disaster recovery relief, the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) reported Feb. 5.

The funding, provided through the Public Transportation Emergency Relief (ER) Program, will help the agencies in six states and one U.S. territory 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, according to the FTA.

This is the second round of grants under the FY 2023 ER program. FTA last July announced it would distribute $102.3 million to 17 transit agencies, cities, and planning councils in eight states and territories. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), signed into law in December 2022, provided the funding to support the program for 2017 and 2020-22 declared disasters.

The following public transportation providers and state DOTs will receive the new funding:

1. $75 million to the NJT to support repairs and relocation of a 70-year-old rail maintenance of way (m/w) facility that was damaged during Hurricane Ida in 2021. The new Clifton facility will replace the obsolete and flood-prone Wood-Ridge facility whose operations have included maintaining m/w equipment, rebuilding signal relays, constructing new signal bungalows, and crewing of staff that maintains NJT’s Main, Bergen County, and Pascack Valley lines. According to NJT, in addition to the risk of flooding, the existing m/w facility’s lack of expansion potential, projected future needs for more m/w operations, an aging infrastructure, and a need for additional space for parking and vehicle storage have demonstrated the need to relocate the facility. The larger and more up-to-date facility, currently in the preliminary design phase, will be located on NJT property at a higher elevation. “The new facility in Clifton will enable us to better maintain and enhance our rail infrastructure, which translates to better, more reliable service for our customers” NJT President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett said. “We are grateful to the FTA for this generous $75 million grant as we continue to modernize maintenance operations to meet the future demands of New Jersey’s growing population and the transportation needs of our customers.”
2. Nearly $13.2 million to the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority to rehabilitate Tren Urbano rail system facilities and systems following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
3. $2.1 million to HART in Hillsborough County, Fla., for providing emergency services during Hurricane Ian in 2022. 
4. $201,160 to the NFTA for emergency response operating costs following the December 2022 blizzard that impacted Erie and Niagara County, N.Y. 
5. $18.6 million to the Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District in the Plaquemines Parish of Louisiana 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.
6. $420,000 to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on behalf of the Fulton County Transit Authority to replace vehicles following a December 2021 tornado that struck Mayfield County, Ky.
7. $6,769 to the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (Arroyo) to repair a maintenance facility damaged during Hurricane Maria in 2017.
8. $400,000 to the Brazos Transit District, which provides transportation services for 21 counties in central and east Texas, to repair a maintenance facility damaged in a February 2021 winter storm. 

“Americans cannot stop their lives because a disaster damages their transit systems,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said during the announcement. “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.”

According to the FTA, the ER program not only helps states and public transportation systems repair and replace equipment and facilities that have suffered serious damage, but also provides funding to reimburse transit agencies for the costs of evacuating people during storms, rescue operations, and providing temporary public transportation service. Agencies may also use the support to reestablish, expand, or relocate service before, during or after an emergency.