Federal government allocates $16.9 million to Lowcountry public transit

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The Federal Transit Administration has allocated $16.9 million to the Charleston metro region to help the area’s public transportation systems respond to COVID-19.

The administration allocated a total of $25 billion to public transportation systems across the country. The funding was included in the coronavirus relief bill signed by President Donald Trump on March 27.

No local match is required for the funding, which will support capital, operating and other expenses incurred in preventing, preparing for and responding to the new coronavirus.

A spokesman for the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, which oversees the rural TriCounty Link system, and the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority said the funds will be used to cover operational costs, operational losses and the purchase of additional cleaning supplies and cleaning services.

Columbia received $15.3 million for its public transportation, Greenville received $9.7 million and the Myrtle Beach area received $4.5 million.

The administration also allocated $26.4 million to South Carolina for use in urbanized areas with between 50,000 and 199,999 people, including Anderson, Florence, Hilton Head Island, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Rock Hill, Spartanburg and Sumter.

An additional $3.1 million was provided to South Carolina as part of the Charlotte metro area’s allocation, and $2.4 million was allocated to the S.C. area of the Augusta-Richmond County region.

“We know that many of our nation’s public transportation systems are facing extraordinary challenges and these funds will go a long way to assisting our transit industry partners in battling COVID-19,” K. Jane Williams, acting administrator for the FTA, said in a news release.