FTA Reopens Emergency Relief Program Funding Application
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on Aug. 2 announced that it is reopening the availability of approximately $110 million under the Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program to transit agencies affected by major disasters in calendar years 2017 and 2020-2022.
Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV “APPLY” function by Oct. 31, 2023.
On March 27, FTA announced the opportunity to apply for $212,301,048 in grants under the Emergency Relief Program for States, Territories, local government authorities, Indian Tribes, and other FTA recipients affected by major declared disasters in calendar years 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (88 FR 18210). The deadline for proposals was May 26, 2023. After the initial allocation of $102,325,551 in funding, $109,975,497 remains to be allocated to eligible recipients.
According to FTA, the Emergency Relief Program “enables FTA to provide assistance to public transit operators in the aftermath of an emergency or major disaster.” The program helps states and public transportation systems pay for repairing and/or replacing equipment and facilities that have suffered serious damage because of an emergency, including natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. The program can fund capital projects to repair or replace facilities or equipment that have suffered serious damage because of an emergency. The program can also fund the operating costs of evacuation, rescue operations, temporary public transportation service, or reestablishing, expanding, or relocating service before, during or after an emergency.
FTA will review applications and make additional funding allocations on a rolling basis, with the first review taking place for any application submitted within the first 30 days (September 1, 2023) of the publication of this notice. If funding remains, additional applications will be evaluated after the final submission deadline. Applicants who submitted proposals prior to May 26, 2023, do not need to re-submit.
