Huffman Announces $82M Headed to North Coast for Transit Improvements Under American Rescue Plan

March 07, 2022

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that two North Coast transit providers in his district will receive over $82 million in additional transit funding under Democrats’ American Rescue Plan. This funding will be used to strengthen critical transportation systems until ridership returns to normal levels, so that children can return safely to school, workers can commute safely to their jobs, and communities can stay connected. 

“Thanks to the investments made by President Biden and Democrats in Congress, we are at the beginning of an infrastructure renaissance. Transit on the North Coast has been buckling under the pressure of decades of neglect and the added challenges over operating during a pandemic,” said Rep. Huffman. “We have secured historic investments to keep our transit systems running safely now and for the long run. I’m glad to have been able to advocate on behalf of our district to bring this funding home.”

These funds are being delivered to two transit agencies in California’s Second Congressional District:

  • $75,029,220 to Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District Project in San Rafael
  • $7,471,416 to Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART) in Petaluma

Distributed by the Federal Transit Administration, these funds are drawn from $2.2 billion in American Rescue Plan FTA Additional Assistance grants supplementing previous transit assistance for communities across the country.  These new investments will fund operation costs, strengthen sanitation efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 on public transit and help avoid layoffs and furloughs. 

“This American Rescue Plan funding is a lifeline that will help us maintain essential transit service and retain our dedicated staff as we navigate the long tail of the pandemic,” said Denis Mulligan, General Manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. “As people return to work, school, and other community activities, these funds will also help us meet the growing demand for transit in the Golden Gate Corridor. We want to thank Representative Huffman and the entire Bay Area Congressional delegation, President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, and the Federal Transit Administration for recognizing our need for additional pandemic relief and investing in our transit system.”

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) new General Manager Eddy Cumins notes: “These COVID-relief transit funds signal the Federal government’s commitment to ensuring communities along our 70-mile corridor will have environmentally friendly transportation options now and for future generations.  We are grateful for our Congressional delegation and President Biden’s administration for supporting our young passenger rail service. With this support, we will continue to provide a real travel alternative that will help the environment and reduce the fuel bill that comes with driving.”

This additional funding was made available through a discretionary process to eligible recipients or subrecipients of Urbanized Area Formula funds or Rural Area Formula funds in response to COVID–19.

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