In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which caused the worst devastation Puerto Rico has seen in 80 years, FTA awarded $8.4 million in critical grant funding to support public transit systems on the island. As of Sept. 27, no FTA-funded rail or bus services were operating.

Also, FHWA made available $40 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds to help restore essential service on roads and bridges damaged by the hurricane throughout Puerto Rico, supplementing $2.5 million in ER funds awarded to the territory for damages related to Hurricane Irma.

Although information remains scarce because of storm damage to the communications infrastructure, at press time APTA staff were trying to make contact with local public transit systems like San Juan’s Tren Urbano.

Plan to Participate in 'Rally 4 Transit'

APTA is sending a call to action to its members, EXPO attendees and Voices for Public Transit advocates stressing the importance of contacting their members of Congress about the necessity of fully funding public transportation and making sure it's included in any proposed infrastructure investment initiative.

Here are three ways to participate in this virtual and in-person “#Rally4Transit”:

* Make a Boom on Social Media: Click on this link to sign up for our #Rally4Transit Thunderclap. It’s easy to participate; all you need is a Facebook or Twitter account. On Tuesday, Oct. 10, at approximately 12 noon, Twitter and Facebook will post the same message on APTA’s pages at the same time, using the hashtag #Rally4Transit. The message is, "Congress, fully fund public transit!" When all of our messages go live simultaneously that day, it will be a part of the three days of advocacy action in Atlanta and across the nation.

*  Add Your Name: Sign the petition, “Rally4Transit: Congress Must Fully Fund Public Transportation.” Click on this link to add your name to our petition.

* Contact Your Legislator on the Rally Days Throughout EXPO (Oct. 9-11), even if you do not attend the EXPO. You will receive emails prompting you to take multiple actions to help your support for public transit be heard.

We want to make public transit the biggest topic of conversation online nationwide and in Washington, DC. Mark your calendars now!

SAVE THE DATE

Join the more than 12,000 attendees at the APTA Annual Meeting & EXPO, Oct. 8-11 in Atlanta, where you can hear from DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao and other distinguished speakers, discover the newest and greatest from more than 800 exhibitors and network with public transit professionals from around the world.

IN THE MEDIA

A Commitment to Clean—How does the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District keep its vehicles clean? This video shows some of the BART employees who scrub, mop, sanitize and polish each train, working every night of the week.

Hands-On Planning for New Transportation Needs—An online tool called ReStreet, created by planning and design specialists from the University of San Francisco and California Polytechnic State University, allows the user to include dedicated lanes for light rail, BRT, autonomous vehicles and other options in templates for urban and suburban streetscapes.

Saving a Life on the Train—When a passenger on a MTA Metro-North Railroad train went into cardiac arrest shortly after the train left Grand Central Terminal, three first responders from the terminal's fire brigade, a Metro-North engineer and a conductor saved the rider's life.