(FORT WORTH, TX – May 15, 2020) – Trinity Metro will receive $55 million as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding for public transportation. The Regional Transportation Council approved the funding, which can be used for financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trinity Metro’s $55,161,034 will be used toward offsetting losses in the operating budget from decreased sales tax and fare box revenue. The money will also be used for COVID-19 expenses that were incurred to protect passengers and employees.
“The grant funds will primarily cover salaries, wages and lost revenues,” said Bob Baulsir, CEO and president of Trinity Metro. “Most importantly, the money will be used for the health benefits and protections for our employees and customers to ensure Trinity Metro maintains a safe and healthy working and riding environment.”
The funding is part of the $2 trillion CARES Act that President Donald Trump signed into law on March 27. From the CARES Act, the Federal Transit Administration received $25 billion for transit providers to respond to the crisis.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Urbanized Area (UZA) received $318 million, which is allocated among 11 transit providers. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) received the funds for the region and is the designated entity for distributing the money to the area’s providers.
About Trinity Metro
Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, ACCESS paratransit, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.