APTA Urges Congress to Approve Public Transportation Emergency Relief Funding

APTA sent a letter Nov. 25 urging Congress to approve President Biden’s request for $57.5 million in federal emergency funding to FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief program to assist public transit agencies recovering from recent hurricanes and natural disasters, including hurricanes Helene and Milton. This funding is critical to ensuring that communities reliant on lifeline transportation services can recover and rebuild resilient systems in the face of increasingly severe climate-related events.

In the letter to leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees, APTA underscored the vital role public transit plays during and after natural disasters: facilitating evacuations, enabling essential workers to respond, and connecting communities to recovery resources.

“Public transit agencies are the lifeline of communities in crisis. Emergency relief funding is not just about repairing infrastructure, it’s about ensuring that transportation remains a critical support system for communities rebuilding after devastating natural disasters,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “This funding is critical now more than ever, as climate-driven disasters increase in intensity and frequency. Congress must act swiftly to provide the resources necessary to protect these essential services and the communities they serve.”

Over the past decade, natural disasters have significantly impacted public transit systems, causing extensive infrastructure damage, while transit agencies simultaneously play a critical role in emergency response efforts. Since 2012, Congress has allocated $11.4 billion in emergency relief funding to public transit agencies across 17 states; Washington, DC; and three territories.

For more information, view APTA’s Fact Sheet on FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program.