Administration Urges Congress to Pass Emergency Funding for Disaster-Struck Communities, Transit Agencies

President Biden sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) requesting urgently needed emergency funding “to provide for an expeditious and meaningful federal response to hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters,” Nov. 18. The request includes $57.5 million to help public transit agencies recover from natural disasters.

Additional resources are critical to continue to support communities, the letter stated, and urged Congress to “act quickly to pass a supplemental funding package to assist those impacted by hurricanes—and every other disaster since Congress last passed a comprehensive disaster package in 2022—so that the people, families, businesses, and communities affected have the support they need to respond, recover, and rebuild responsibly.”

Over the past decade, natural disasters, including floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes, have directly impacted many public transit agencies. Transit agencies have provided emergency transportation services while sustaining significant damage to capital assets. The Public Transportation Emergency Relief program enables FTA to provide financial assistance to public transit agencies and other recipients in the aftermath of a declared emergency or major disaster.

Since 2012, Congress has provided $11.4 billion to 17 states; Washington, DC; and three territories to help public transit agencies respond to and recover from natural disasters. Congress has appropriated emergency funds to the FTA Public Transportation Emergency Relief program in four separate Acts of Congress. Read APTA’s fact sheet for more details.