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Payne, Menendez, Booker, Pallone, Pascrell, Sires, Norcross, Watson Coleman Announce Over $400M in Final Round of NJT, PATH Sandy Relief Grants

June 29, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.), and U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (N.J.-06), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Albio Sires (N.J.-08), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10), Donald Norcoss (N.J.-01) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.-12), today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded a combined $402,592,829 in federal grants to repair damage sustained by New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail systems during Superstorm Sandy.

This allocation represents the fourth and final tranche of USDOT Sandy transit relief funding, which in total delivered $1.827 billion for NJT and $1.872 billion for the Port Authority. The federal lawmakers will join local officials at a press conference Friday in Hoboken to further detail their recovery efforts and priority projects.

“This is great news for ongoing efforts to help residents get back on their feet and protect people from future disasters,” said Rep. Payne, Jr. “The federal funding will reduce the burden in hard-hit cities and towns across New Jersey as they continue to rebuild and recover from the unprecedented damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. I remain committed to doing everything I can to ensure New Jersey families fully recover and are safe in their communities.”

“When Sandy battered New Jersey, it sent an unprecedented storm surge up the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, destroyed critical infrastructure, flooded PATH stations and tunnels, and severely impacted New Jersey Transit operations,” said Sen. Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate’s transit subcommittee. “I was proud to help lead the fight in Washington in the immediate aftermath of the storm to secure the federal resources New Jersey needed to recover from our worst natural disaster. This final round of much-needed funding will help us with the ongoing recovery to our state’s vital public transit network and ensure both PATH and NJT are stronger and more resilient than before the storm, assuring New Jersey commuters of safe and reliable service.”

"New Jersey’s transportation corridors serve as a vital lifeline to our region's economy, which underscores the critical importance of federal investments like this following the unprecedented damage left in Sandy’s wake,” said Sen. Booker. "While New Jersey's transportation networks still require additional investments in order to be made whole, this federal funding is a much-needed shot in the arm that will help strengthen our state's transit infrastructure, increase resiliency in the face of future storms and keep our economy moving.”

“As we continue to rebuild in the years after Superstorm Sandy, we have a unique opportunity to improve the public infrastructure in our state so that it is stronger and able to withstand future storms,” said Rep. Pallone. “This funding will allow for significant improvements that will help modernize our infrastructure and prepare us for storms like Sandy. A strong transportation system is critical to our economy and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to ensure its resilience for New Jersey residents.”

“Hurricane Sandy landed on our shores more than three and a half years ago crushing New Jersey’s communities, our homes, and our public transit system. This historic storm flooded PATH stations and tunnels critical to commuters, business, and region's economy,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. said. “We need reliability for our transportation infrastructure here in the most densely populated part of the country. This significant federal investment will help repair from the last big storm and prepare for the next big storm.”

“Superstorm Sandy devastated large sections of Hudson County, including its critical mass transit infrastructure, and left many residents without means to get around,” said Rep. Sires. “This federal funding will help ensure that our critical mass transit infrastructure is fully repaired and able to meet our residents’ commuting needs.”

“Nearly four years after Sandy lashed out at New Jersey, the scars of the superstorm remain. As the state continues to recover, this federal funding will bolster much-needed investments in our state’s infrastructure system, so it’s running smoothly for the people of New Jersey and we’re fully prepared to handle future storms,” said Rep. Norcross.

“With this final round Sandy recovery aid, we have the opportunity to invest in our critical infrastructure to rebuild our neighborhoods, modernize our protections, and fortify our communities to mitigate risks from future storms,” Rep. Watson Coleman said. “This recovery has been difficult, but I remain committed to working with my colleagues in both Washington and New Jersey to make sure that our recovery meets the expectations of the strong and resilient residents of our great state.”

USDOT has allocated the following funding today through the Federal Transit Administration's Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program for continuing Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts:

  • $299,760,847

For overall PATH recovery

  • $102,831,982

For overall NJT recovery

In 2013, the President signed the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Appropriations bill into law, bringing the total Sandy aid enacted by Congress to $60.2 billion. The funding package included federal aid to help homeowners, businesses, and communities recover, and resources to rebuild coastal, transportation, and water infrastructure.

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