American Rescue Plan Delivers $208 Million in COVID Relief to Support Phoenix-Area Public Transit Industry

$81 Million Secured for South Central Light Rail Extension

March 30, 2021

Rep. Greg Stanton announced today that transit agencies in the Phoenix-Mesa Urbanized Area will receive $208 million from the American Rescue Plan, a priority for Stanton who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. These funds will be used for operating expenses, including payroll and personal protective equipment costs for transit workers.

“Arizonans rely on local transit to commute to work, shop at local businesses and access health care. As we get our economy back on track, it’s critical our public transit services remain safe and available for riders, and we keep transit workers on payroll,” said Stanton.

Stanton announced an additional $81 million Capital Investment Allocation to the South Central Light Rail Expansion to ensure construction is not halted by the steep revenue drops local governments have seen during the pandemic. These dollars will supplement funds lost for the local cost share for these projects in 2019 and 2020.

Funding details outlined by the Federal Transit Administration also included $3.8 million for tribal transit systems in Arizona, and $47.2 million for Tucson’s transit system. 

The American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion package, included $30.5 billion total in emergency relief for public transportation systems across the country. These funds can be used to support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and is provided at a 100-percent federal cost share, with no local match required.

A full breakdown of all funds awarded to support Arizona’s transit industry is available here.

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