Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced $289.1 million dollars in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to help support the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District (TriMet) in Portland, Oregon. This funding is awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and will help TriMet stay afloat and recover from the major impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on public transit.
“Our public transportation systems have been a lifeline for our essential workers—making sure they were able to get to where they needed to be—and have kept vital services within reach for our communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Merkley. “As our nation continues to battle the pandemic, these grants will strengthen critical public transportation options and ensure they are able to keep serving Oregonians.”
“TrIMet workers embody the definition of essential employees in this pandemic by providing service Oregonians can rely upon to get to work, school, medical appointments and more,” Wyden said. “These federal funds from the American Rescue Plan that I voted for provide a significant and needed investment in TriMet’s riders and workers while also supporting a strong quality of life and economy in the metro area.”
The American Rescue Plan, signed into law earlier this year by President Biden, allocated more than $30 billion for public transportation. The funding awarded to TriMet comes from a portion allocated by statutory formulas to urban and rural areas, tribal governments, and for the enhanced mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities.
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