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Today, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced plans to provide $2.85 billion as a first down payment to restore public transportation in lower Manhattan that was destroyed Sept. 11, 2001.

Funds include a $1.7 billion grant for the permanent World Trade Center Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Terminal. Located underneath the World Trade Center site, the terminal will serve the PATH subway system, and provide pedestrian connections to the Fulton Street Transit Center, World Financial Center and World Financial Center Ferry Terminal. Prior to Sept. 11, the terminal served more than 130,000 commuter trips daily.

USDOT also provided a $750 million grant will be used to rehabilitate the Fulton Street Transit Center, a multi-level underground complex of stations to serve 12 subway lines and more than 275,000 commuter trips daily.

Finally, a $400 million grant will help fund renovations to the South Ferry Subway Terminal. The single-track, five-car station will be rehabilitated to include a three-track, 10-car, two-platform terminal adjacent to the Staten Island ferry.

Since fall 2002, the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been working with New York Gov. George Pataki, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a transportation working group assembled by the governor to identify and prioritize major transportation capital investment projects to be implemented with the available funding.