Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
January 13, 2022
HARTFORD– The Connecticut Congressional Delegation today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $332.5 million grant from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). American Rescue Plan transit funds are intended to help transit agencies around the country maintain service and keep workers on the payroll as communities continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This award comes at a crucial moment as agencies nationwide are facing the challenge of a new variant.
“Connecticut’s transit service workers have kept our state running throughout this pandemic. Whether it’s getting people to work, the grocery store, or the doctor’s office, transit service workers have been among our frontline heroes working day in and day out to get Connecticut residents where they need to be. We are proud to have fought for this critical funding that protects essential jobs and maintains safe and reliable transportation options for Connecticut residents,” said members of the Connecticut Congressional Delegation.
“Thanks to President Biden and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation, American Rescue Plan Act funds are supporting the recovery of our states’ public transportation systems that suffered tremendous financial losses resulting from the pandemic,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “A strong economy is dependent upon having on a strong transportation system, and by making these investments we are supporting the ability of thousands of people every day to get to their jobs and earn a living.”
“These American Rescue Plan Act dollars are a lifeline for Connecticut’s public transportation operations,” said CTDOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. “Public transportation is about connecting communities and thanks to the support of the Connecticut Congressional delegation, we can ensure the families and workers that depend on us, our customers, continue to have the transportation services they need in their daily lives.”
“Public transportation has helped people reach their jobs at hospitals, grocery stores, ports, and more throughout this pandemic,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will help keep transit service running, protect transit employees from layoffs, and ensure people can get where they need to go.”
The grant funds for CTDOT will help maintain and improve transit service for Connecticut residents and visitors as the agency continues to address pandemic-related challenges such as decreased ridership and staff shortages.
Connecticut’s diverse and robust public transportation network supports more than 3.6 million residents. In 2019, CTDOT provided 11 million trips in total across multiple modes of public transportation. Its bus service alone provided 10.4 million trips in 2019, making it one of the largest bus operators in the Northeast.
This funding is part of more than $30 billion for public transportation in the American Rescue Plan Act which was signed into law by President Biden last March. The funding comes from the $26.6 billion allocated by statutory formulas to urban and rural areas, Tribal governments, and for the enhanced mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities. The Act also included $2.2 billion for additional transit pandemic-associated need, which will be awarded later this year. No local share is required for this funding.
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