Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program

The Emergency Relief Program is intended to provide operating assistance and capital funding to aid recipients and sub-recipients in restoring public transportation service, and in repairing and reconstructing public transportation assets to a state

The ER Program allows FTA to make grants for eligible public transportation capital and operating costs in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a natural disaster, that affects a wide area, and, as a result of which, the Governor of a State has declared an emergency or the President has declared a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

An entity that operates public transportation service in an area impacted by an emergency or major disaster, as defined by a gubernatorial or presidential declaration of such an emergency or disaster, and that receives federal transit funds directly from FTA.

Beneficiaries of funding include public transportation operators and the general public in areas for which an emergency or major disaster has been declared as defined under section 5324.

The ER Program allows FTA to make grants for eligible public transportation capital and operating costs in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a natural disaster, that affects a wide area, and, as a result of which, the Governor of a State has declared an emergency or the President has declared a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Eligible projects include emergency operations, emergency repairs, permanent repairs, actual engineering and construction costs on eligible projects, and resiliency projects designed to protect rolling stock, equipment, facilities and infrastructure from future damage.

Funds are available until expended.

An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The grants are only for expenses that are not reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Funds will be allocated based on detailed damage assessments conducted in the aftermath of an emergency or major disaster and on demonstrated operational costs incurred in preparation for and in response to an emergency or major disaster. Damage assessments must provide detailed information on the extent of damage to a public transportation system and the costs of restoring the system to a state of good repair. Project proposals that improve the resiliency of a public transportation system's infrastructure will be evaluated on the basis of proposed costs and benefits based, in part, on the likelihood and extent of potential damage from future events.

An FTA grant award obligating Federal funds is reflected in a grant agreement. Grants are awarded electronically. In order to access this system, a user name and password are needed and can be obtained by contacting the regional offices. Once the funds are reserved in TrAMS and the project information has been reviewed and approved, the recipient must execute the grant agreement to access the funds.

No date range is required, as Congress appropriates funds as necessary, and recipients may request to use funds available under FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Grants (5307) or Formula Grants for Rural Areas (5311) programs under the provisions of the Emergency Relief Program (5324).

Funding is made available as necessary through the appropriation process. Grants may be amended to add newly available funds for a continuing project.

Congress appropriates funds as necessary for estimated damages that result from emergencies, including natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes.