USDOT allocates additional $3.7 billion in hurricane aid for transit agencies

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) yesterday announced an additional $3.7 billion in Hurricane Sandy disaster relief for the four transit agencies that sustained the most damage: the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Department of Transportation, New Jersey Transit and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Of the allocation, $2.4 billion will go toward recovery and rebuilding, and $1.3 billion will be dedicated to increasing the transit systems’ resilience to future disasters, USDOT officials said in a press release.

“We continue to work closely with the transit agencies hit hardest by Hurricane sandy to ensure they can recover form this terrible disaster and emerge stronger than before,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Yesterday’s announcement brings the total dollars allocated by the Federal Transit Administration for Sandy recovery aid to $5.7 billion.