Rock Region Metro, the Pulaski County transit agency, received a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help it cope with revenue losses sustained because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The grant is part of $25 billion available in funding for transit agencies under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. A total of $22.7 billion was allocated to large and small urban areas and $2.2 billion to rural areas. The funding requires no local match and was made available to support "capital, operating and other expenses" to respond to the pandemic.
"We know that many of our nation's public transportation systems are facing extraordinary challenges and these funds will go a long way to assisting our transit industry partners in battling covid-19," K. Jane Williams, the acting administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, said in a statement. "These federal funds will support operating assistance to transit agencies of all sizes providing essential travel and supporting transit workers across the country who are unable to work because of the public health emergency."
The grant is available as the transit agency is losing $5,000 per day as social distancing reduces ridership.
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On April 1, Rock Region began requiring bus riders to board and alight from the rear door to help protect is drivers from the virus and avoid a further reduction in service.
Last month, it suspended its streetcar service, which was categorized as nonessential. It also suspended some regular routes to shift buses to busier ones. The move increased service frequency on high-ridership routes and served to decrease the number of people on buses at any one time.
The same month it began limiting passenger loads to 10 or fewer per bus and has encouraged riders to limit bus use to essential trips only.
The agency was notified last week that it would be receiving the funding, which U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced Wednesday.
The aid package was requested by the American Public Transportation Association and was allocated through the traditional Federal Transit Agency funding formula, which is based on population, density and other factors, said Becca Green, spokesman for Rock Region Metro.
Rock Region "was absolutely supportive of the APTA advocacy effort, as METRO has spent additional funds for extra services, supplies and equipment as part of the agency's COVID-19 response and is currently losing approximately $5,000 each weekday in lost fare revenue as the agency has suspended fare collection enforcement while boarding buses at the back and encouraging social distancing," she said in a statement.
The transit agency will use the funds to replace lost fare revenue, pay for extra services, supplies and equipment as well as "try and keep as much service on the road as possible and healthy employees at work until this pandemic has passed," Green said.
To her knowledge, she said no Rock Region employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Metro on 04/16/2020