(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey today announced an agreement on the suballocations of extraordinary federal emergency relief funding apportioned to the region by Congress to mitigate the historic pandemic-related losses in transit system ridership and revenues.
After negotiations, the states agreed that approximately $10.85 billion of the funding will be for New York, $2.66 billion will be for New Jersey, and $474 million will be for Connecticut.
This funding, provided from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), recognizes that the tristate area was among the hardest hit by the pandemic and provides the resources necessary for the nation’s largest subway, commuter rail, and bus services located in these states to avoid layoffs, furloughs, and severe service reductions. These transit agencies ensured essential workers could be where they were needed most, and this funding will help support their longer-term recovery and sustainability.
“The agreement reached by Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey is great news for our region,” Governor Lamont said. “It ensures critical federal funding is now available to support the recovery of our states’ public transportation systems that suffered tremendous financial losses resulting from the pandemic. I thank Governors Hochul and Murphy for their collaboration to achieve this.”
“I want to thank President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Speaker Pelosi for securing this much-needed transportation funding,” Governor Hochul said. “The New York City and tristate region can’t fully recover from the pandemic without our transit agencies effectively and efficiently moving millions of people in and out of New York City each day. As a result of a series of productive conversations with my fellow governors, I’m glad that we have reached an agreement that is beneficial to all.”
“Nothing is more critical to our region’s economic recovery than our mass transportation system,” Governor Murphy said. “With this agreement, we ensure a reliable and safe commute as workers return to their offices. I thank President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, and the New Jersey congressional delegation for their leadership on this issue, and Governors Hochul and Lamont for working with New Jersey to strengthen our region’s transportation networks.”