The Recovery Act provided $8.4 billion to the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Washington State received $179 million of that federal funding for investments in transportation, including transit and other public transportation projects.
- $12 million - Rural Public Transportation
- $12 million - Small Urban Areas
- $142 million - Large Urban Areas
How are transit agencies using the Recovery Act funds?
FTA funds from American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) must be used for capital projects only. These funds can be used for "...the acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance of facilities, and equipment for use in transit."
Who selected the projects for the formula funds in Washington?
The projects in the urbanized area including the Section 5307 and the Fixed Guideway were selected locally. Usually the metropolitan planning organizations have an established process for distribution of FTA funding. For an example of the selected projects in the Puget Sound area.
Rural Public Transportation
The projects for the rural areas were selected by the state using a competitive process. In December 2008 and January 2009, WSDOT developed a capital project list in anticipation of the Recovery Act. This list consisted on a variety of project types including:
- Purchasing replacement and expansion vehicles
- Purchasing new communication equipment
- Constructing facilities and transit centers
- Repairing buildings
- Installing bus shelters
WSDOT identified more than $45 million in projects that met the definition of "ready to go" in rural areas. An independent Grants Review Team prioritized project types and selected projects for funding.
For information about the FHWA funding project and how much will be invested in Washington highways.
Last revised on April 14, 2011