Six days after the President signed into law the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the availability of $2 billion for public transit equipment and facilities that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The funds are the first installment of of $10.9 billion headed to the Federal Transit Administration.

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“The $2 billion we’re making available now will reimburse transit agencies for extraordinary expenses incurred to protect workers and equipment before and after the hurricane hit, and support urgently needed repairs to seriously damaged transit systems and facilities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and elsewhere," explained Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff added, “The Department has stepped up to address the worst transit disaster in U.S. history, which directly affected well over one-third of the nation’s transit."

The funds would need to be dispersed by the end of March; they will be awarded through the FTA's new Emergency Relief Program on a rolling basis, in the form of grants to states, local governments, transit agencies and other organizations that own or operate transit systems damaged by the storm.

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