Va. & Md. Senators Announce $877M for WMATA

~ Funding awarded through the CARES Act ~

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) today announced that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will receive $876,806,108 in federal transit funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“We were proud to fight for this additional support for Metro and other local transit systems as part of the CARES Act. Public transit is a critical service that must continue during this pandemic,” said the Senators today. “With overall ridership down significantly, we need to make sure that WMATA has the resources it needs to purchase personal protective equipment to protect WMATA’s workforce, as well as maintain safety and reliability, especially for essential workers who continue to depend on Metro every day.”  

Through the CARES Act, Congress provided $25 billion for transit agencies to help prevent, prepare, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WMATA will use the grant funds, awarded through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), to fund the continuation of critical transit services. The funds can also be used to cover expenditures such as personnel wages and benefits, cleaning and sanitizing, fuel, maintenance and other expenses related to responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 public health emergency.

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