Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation | Facebook Website
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that eight transit systems across eight states will receive a total of $343 million in federal funding to retrofit some of the nation's oldest and busiest rail transit systems. This initiative aims to improve accessibility for Americans, including those with disabilities and mobility concerns, making it easier for them to access jobs, schools, healthcare, and other essential destinations.
This investment is part of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has been awarded through the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). The grant recipients will use the funding to ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards by installing elevators, renovating platforms for level boarding, improving signage, and enhancing visual and audio systems. Additionally, these projects are expected to create well-paying jobs within the communities they serve.
"We are not only modernizing our nation’s infrastructure; we are doing so in a way that makes it more accessible for older Americans, people with disabilities, and all transit users," stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "This initiative...is retrofitting old rail stations with elevators, ramps, and more to make sure that our public transportation is more accessible for millions of Americans going about their daily lives."
Inaccessibility remains a significant challenge for riders using rail systems built before 1990—referred to as legacy systems—with over 900 such stations currently not fully accessible.
"Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, great strides have been made in improving accessibility, but there is still a lot of work to accomplish," said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. "By modernizing rail systems across the country...we want to ensure that all customers can use transit systems with ease and reliability."
Among the selected ASAP projects:
- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority in Ohio will receive $16 million to rehabilitate eight stations on the Blue Line.
- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City will receive $156.5 million to enhance accessibility at five stations.
- The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will receive approximately $4.7 million for improvements at several Muni light rail stops.
Projects were chosen based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which allocates a total of $1.75 billion for ASAP through FY 2026. In December 2022, FTA announced $686 million in funding for FY 2022 and 2023 through this program.
The high demand was evident as FTA received nearly $1.1 billion in funding requests for this year's available $343 million.
