New grant totaling $684 million comes in addition to $1.9 billion announced earlier this week

Federal Transit Administration grants for New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Lowey’s leadership helped secure $60 billion following Superstorm Sandy devastation

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced a $684 million U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for Hurricane Sandy recovery and local priority resiliency projects.

This announcement comes in addition to $1.9 billion in FTA grants she announced yesterday to strengthen the resiliency of New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey facilities. These areas and agencies sustained unprecedented damage as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

Total Sandy funds announced this week going to New York-area transit agencies amount to $2,599,935,147.00, with portions of funding to make improvements to Metro-North railroad power and signals resiliency.

“After leading the fight to secure $60 billion to recover from Sandy, I am pleased these funds are having a real impact on our region,” said Lowey. “New York transit agencies will receive $2.6 billion for resiliency projects to help ensure that the nation’s busiest transit network and largest regional economy can withstand and overcome disasters on the scale of Superstorm Sandy. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to have led the fight to secure federal Sandy recovery aid, and I will continue to ensure New York’s recovery and resiliency needs are met.” 

Damage to New York’s transit agencies caused by Sandy affected the largest regional economy in the United States, putting $1.4 trillion (or 11 percent) of the country’s Gross Domestic Product at risk. When U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the availability of approximately $3 billion to strengthen the resiliency of public transportation systems affected by Superstorm Sandy, Lowey strongly urged Foxx to award grants to projects submitted by the MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

MTA will now receive roughly $2.3 billion, up from $1.6 billion announced earlier this week, including $37 million for Metro-North railroad power and signals resiliency improvements. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will receive $124 million, and the New York City Department of Transportation will receive $191 million.

As the top Democratic appropriator in the House, Congresswoman Lowey helped lead the bipartisan effort to pass the full Sandy assistance package totaling $60 billion.

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