Washington (October 20, 2023) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), along with 14 Senate colleagues, in introducing the Transit Emergency Relief Act, a new bill to improve the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Emergency Response (ER) Program. The bill would bring the FTA ER program into parity with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) program that serves the same purpose for America’s highways and road infrastructure. The Transit Emergency Relief Act would provide a consistent funding source for FTA emergency response and grant flexibility to FTA in how funds are allocated so that transit emergencies can receive appropriate funding.

“From raging wildfires on the west coast to historic flooding in New England, transit operators do not receive the swift support they need following a natural disaster,” said Senator Markey. “Unlike other emergency relief programs, transit emergency relief funds can take months, or even years, to reach communities after disasters. The Transit Emergency Relief Act would speed up the delivery of funds to transit operators, like the MBTA, so they can immediately protect, repair, and replace infrastructure damaged by climate disasters. We must continue to invest in climate resilient transportation to ensure communities—especially those underserved —in Massachusetts and across our nation can stay connected.”

“The bottom line is that emergencies should be met with emergency level responses. The collapse and twelve day rebuild of I-95 showed what is possible when we get federal dollars out the door quickly,” said Senator Fetterman. “Currently, FTA Emergency Response can take months, if not years, to get to transit agencies that need it. Because of this, when disaster strikes, agencies— which are often already strapped for cash—are forced to foot the bill and hope FTA can reimburse later. The Federal Emergency Relief Act is a simple fix to make a federal program work better and bring real relief to the transit operators that Pennsylvanians rely on.”

Senators Markey and Fetterman are joined on the bill by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

FTA ER funds currently take months if not years get to transit operators after natural disasters and other emergencies that negatively impact transit infrastructure, which impedes transit agencies’ abilities to effectively respond to these emergencies. This is in large part because FTA ER funds are only authorized by Congress after disasters that affect transit infrastructure. In contrast, FHWA’s Emergency Relief program can get money where it needs to go mere days after disaster strikes because it has a standing $100 million funding authorization from the Highway Trust Fund.

“We thank Senator Fetterman for his leadership on the Transit Emergency Relief Act. With public transportation still struggling through the financial impact of the past several years, the last thing we need is financial uncertainty when a natural disaster strikes,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department at AFL-CIO.