FTA Awards $234M to Port Authority, NJTransit

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The Federal Transit Administration awarded roughly $167 million to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and $67 million to New Jersey Transit from the its emergency relief program to help both agencies continue rebuilding and replacing equipment and facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

"The funds we're providing today will go a long way to help these agencies continue rebuilding and strengthening the rail systems, ferry terminals, and local infrastructure,: U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a May 30 statement.

The funds reimburse the Port Authority and NJT for capital projects already started under FTA pre-award authority, while also funding other projects that have yet to advance. Altogether, the Port Authority and NJT were allocated $1.36 billion and $448.2 million respectively, for relief and recovery projects through the program.

The Port Authority funding supports 15 capital projects, such as replacing power, signal and communications equipment destroyed by the storm; purchasing new locomotives; and acquiring equipment to mitigate damage from future storms, including temporary power substations and water removal systems and barriers.

New Jersey Transit funding supports seven projects, including a new interoperable communications center in Maplewood, N.J,, which will serve as a consolidated command and control center for coordinating all NJT functions and improving agency-wide response during a major weather event; repairing and restoring the Newark and Hudson-Bergen light rail lines; dredging storm-deposited silt from the Weehawken Port Imperial Ferry Terminal; and purchasing new fueling trucks that can readily bring fuel to diesel locomotives and other equipment that may be stranded during an emergency.

FTA has allocated about 55% of the $10.35 billion available through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 for transit agencies eligible to receive Hurricane Sandy aid,

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Transportation industry New York New Jersey
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