Critical federal grant expected to help NJ Transit retain employees, continue to serve commuters amid Omicron spread
Tags: Transportation & Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award $1.6 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to NJ Transit (NJT). These federal transit funds are expected to help NJT maintain service and keep workers on the payroll as the agency continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NJ Transit plays an absolutely essential role in our region’s economy. Now more than ever, we must support public transportation systems like NJT so that commuters and travelers to our region can continue their transit safely and efficiently,” said Rep. Pascrell, who helped pass the American Rescue Plan last year. “Today’s funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will help us accomplish what we set out to achieve: preventing layoffs and protecting against the virus. These essential funds were made possible because Democrats have unified control of Congress and the White House and are still having a positive impact for New Jersey. Importantly, after months of wrangling for a fair allocation, I applaud Governor Murphy for fighting for these critical funds to help keep the tri-state economic engine running smoothly. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Congress and the Administration to bring home needed federal dollars for our state.”
“Public transportation has helped people reach their jobs at hospitals, grocery stores, ports, and more throughout this pandemic,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will help keep transit service running, protect transit employees from layoffs, and ensure people can get where they need to go.”
Today’s grant funds for NJT is expected to help maintain and improve transit service for New Jersey residents and visitors as the agency continues to address pandemic-related challenges such as decreased ridership and staff shortages. The award is expected to also help maintain service and preserve the jobs of the agency’s 11,000 employees – who served approximately 270 million trips in 2019 – and of those passengers who rely on the agency’s transit services to get to work.
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