“Emergency relief funding just isn’t nearly repairing infrastructure, it’s about ensuring that transportation stays a critical support system for communities rebuilding after devastating natural disasters,” said Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO. “This funding is critical now greater than ever, as climate-driven disasters increase in intensity and frequency. Congress must act swiftly to supply the resources
APTA
The American Public Transportation Association is pressing Congress for at the very least $57.5 million in emergency appropriations to the Federal Transit Administration’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief program to support agencies recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“Emergency relief funding just isn’t nearly repairing infrastructure, it’s about ensuring that transportation stays a critical support system for communities rebuilding after devastating natural disasters,” said Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA president and CEO.
“This funding is critical now greater than ever, as climate-driven disasters increase in intensity and frequency. Congress must act swiftly to supply the resources crucial to guard these essential services and the communities they serve.”
Based on APTA, the shortage of funding is holding up public transit rebuilding operations in 14 states. Their appeal for relief features a letter addressed to Senators and House Representatives on the Appropriations Committees.
“This emergency funding is crucial to assist public transit agencies offset the numerous costs of providing emergency transportation services, rebuilding damaged infrastructure, and replacing vehicles destroyed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other recent natural disasters,” APTA said in that letter.
The Congressional appropriations process is already way behind schedule. Based on the National Association of Counties, “As of September 27, when the U.S. House adjourned for August recess, the chamber has passed 5 of the 12 fiscal 12 months 2025 spending bills.”
The Senate is in higher shape because it has marked up and advanced 11 of the 12 fiscal 12 months 2025 spending bills. Each houses are scheduled to resume appropriations work for the reason that election break is now over the lame duck session is on.
The pandemic devastated transit ridership and the federal government propped up the systems with a $69.5 billion infusion, but those funds have run out. Recovery of the main systems shows mixed results
In September S&P Global Rankings modified its overall outlook for the U.S. transit sector to positive.
“We revised our sector view to stable from negative for U.S. public mass transit operators, because of stabilizing credit fundamentals from dedicated tax revenue growth often outpacing fare revenue decreases, recovering-but-still-weaker ridership, and operators’ ability to regulate service levels and expenses to revive fiscal structural operating fund balance,” wrote S&P.
In October Fitch Rankings assigned an AA- rating to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District $544 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act 2024-A and 2024-B bonds and applied a negative outlook.
Also, in October Fitch assigned an AA rating to $48 million in transportation revenue refunding green bonds to be issued by the Latest York and Metropolitan Transportation Authority with a stable outlook.
In August Fitch Rankings upgraded the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Agency sales tax revenue bonds to AA+ from AA.
The MTA is attempting to shore up its system through the use of a congestion traffic system that has changed into a political and legal tug of war between the MTA and the state of Latest Jersey. The fight has also attracted President-elect Trump’s attention.