East Coast governors agree to split transit emergency funds

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont yesterday announced an agreement on the sharing of $14 billion in federal emergency relief funding to help public transit agencies recover from pandemic-related impacts to ridership and revenue.

After negotiations, the states agreed that  $10.85 billion will go to New York, $2.66 billion to New Jersey and $474 million to Connecticut. The funding, which comes from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021  and the American Rescue Plan Act, acknowledges that the tri-state area's public transportation systems were among the hardest hit in the nation during pandemic.

The funding will provide the resources necessary to the nation's largest subway, commuter-rail and bus services located in these states to avoid layoffs, furloughs, and severe service reductions, according to a press release issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The transit agencies directly receiving the funds include the MTA, New Jersey Transit and Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT).

"The New York City and tri-state region can't fully recover from the pandemic without our transit agencies effectively and efficiently moving millions of people in and out of New York City each day,” Hochul said.