Following Fierce Advocacy, Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $5.6B In Statewide Public Transit Funding Included In FY 2021 Bipartisan Appropriations Package

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today announced the inclusion of more than $5.6 billion for public transportation agencies across New York state in the recently-passed government funding package. For months, the two senators have been advocating for federal relief for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), to address the massive budget deficit the transit agency has been grappling with due to loss revenue and fare loss throughout the pandemic.

“I’ve said it before and I will say it again: mass transit is the lifeblood of New York and New York is the beating heart of the American economy,” said Senator Schumer. “The MTA, for example, will need even more dollars to keep the system flowing, workers working, riders riding and the economy running. Without more funds into the Biden administration for NYC, LI, Westchester and upstate, New York will face an even harder recovery—and really—so will the nation. We’ll fight for those dollars just like we did these.”  

“Public transit is the lifeblood of New York’s economy, and for months, I fought to make sure our frontline health workers, first responders, child care providers, and all essential workers would have a safe and healthy public transit system to get them where they need to go,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am glad that we secured this vital funding to help to avoid devastating cuts in bus, subway and commuter rail service, which will enable us to combat the pandemic and help our economy recover in 2021.”

On July 21, Gillibrand sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell requesting at least an additional $3.9 billion in federal funding for the MTA to be included in COVID-19 federal legislation to address the massive budget deficit the transit agency is facing through the end of this year due to revenue losses and increased COVID-19-related expenses.  

Gillibrand also joined 24 colleagues in urging Senate leadership to provide an additional $32 billion in emergency supplemental funding through 2021 for public transit agencies in the COVID-19 stimulus package.

The funding package included $14 billion to help public transit agencies across the country facing severe revenue shortages as a result of COVID-19.  Of that amount, more than $5.6 billion will be allocated to transit agencies across the state of New York.  The following amounts are expected to be allocated to New York’s metropolitan areas by the Federal Transit Administration: