Sound Transit Receives $166 Million In Federal Coronavirus Aid

SEATTLE, WA — Sound Transit received $166.3 million in federal grant money to aid the state's ongoing coronavirus recovery, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao detailed plans for $25 billion in federal funds headed to public transportation agencies across the nation.

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The money was authorized under the CARES Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in late March.

According to federal transportation officials, Sound Transit will use the grant funds to help pay for operating costs, maintenance, vehicle disinfection, and enhanced safety measures for drivers and passengers during the public health emergency.

Related: Sound Transit Will Offer Reduced Price 'Recovery Fares' In June

Under guidelines issued by the Federal Transit Administration, local transportation agencies tasked with implementing policies around face coverings and personal protective equipment, and enacting firm hygienic protocols. Funding from the CARES Act can be used to fully cover any additional costs related to those measures.

Learn about Sound Transit's coronavirus safety protocols here.

Sound Transit, like many transportation agencies, is projecting hundreds of millions in lost revenue through next year, and leadership has pushed for more federal aid to prevent severe impacts to service.

According to the state's COVID-19 transportation dashboard, average daily ridership among Washington's ten largest transit agencies remains more than 70 percent lower than the same time last year.

[NORECIRC]

This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch