Capito, Manchin Announce More than $55 Million to Help State Transit Systems Respond to COVID-19
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $55,656,246 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for West Virginia. Specifically, the funding, which was made possible following President Trump’s signing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), will assist communities and public transportation systems in West Virginia respond to challenges related to COVID-19.
“This funding is crucial to West Virginia as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly. It is good to see that needed relief is on the way. This funding through the FTA will both benefit our state’s larger cities as well as our more rural areas and counties. I will continue to make sure our residents receive the help and necessary resources to deal with this pandemic,” said Senator Capito.
“Many West Virginians rely on public transportation and public transit services in their everyday lives to go to work, buy groceries, and pick up their children from childcare. This is true for our larger cities like Huntington and Charleston, as well as our rural transit services, which provide more specialized services for rural, elderly, and poor residents. During this crisis, it’s even more important for these services to provide rides for medically necessary appointments, pharmacy/prescription pick-ups, or to secure essential groceries. This funding is critical to ensuring that all West Virginians have reliable access to these services, and I will continue to do everything possible to ensure West Virginians get the help they need,” said Senator Manchin.
Individual awards are listed below for each program:
Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program:
$7,967,212 – Morgantown, W.Va.
· $7,765,204 – Charleston, W.Va.
· $2,763,303 – Hagerstown, Md.-W.Va.-Pa.
· $2,464,925 – Parkersburg, W.Va.
· $2,301,692 – Beckley, W.Va.
· $2,173,415 – Wheeling, W.Va.
· $1,206,526 – Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio-Pa.
· $92,669 – Cumberland, Md.-W.Va.-Pa.
Rural Area Formula Grants Program:
$26.7 million – State of West Virginia
Appalachian Development Transportation Assistance Program:
$1.8 million – State of West Virginia