Emergency Relief Program (ERP)

Federal Agency

Sub-Department

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Purpose

To assist public transit operators in the aftermath of an emergency or major disaster.

Applicant and/or Project Eligibility Requirements

Eligible recipients include states, territories, and FTA direct recipients affected by major declared disasters.

Decarbonization Considerations

When possible, projects should focus less on retrofits of dirty diesel equipment and more on new zero-emission equipment.

Equity Considerations

See the "Equity Design Considerations for Federal Funding" for general considerations and additional sector-based resources: https://cityrenewables.org/resources/equity-design-considerations-for-federal-funding/

Helpful Tips

The Emergency Relief Program does not have annual or permanent authorizations. Past authorizations for the program have been made by Congress following disasters.

Other Notes

A March 13, 2020 announcement expanded project eligibility and allows all transit providers in states where the Governor has declared an emergency related to COVID-19 to use their federal formula funds for operating expenses in addition to capital expenses, and permits operating expenses to be covered at an 80 percent federal share rather than 50 percent. An FY2020 Emergency Relief Docket was also created through which transit providers can request relief from FTA administrative and statutory requirements. An additional $212.3 million has been made available for disaster relief from disasters in 2017, and 2020-2022. See FY23 recipients here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/emergency-relief-program/emergency-relief-program-funding-fy-2023