U.S. Sens Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) has been awarded $64.3 million in grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration to pay for transit service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the money will help pay for more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of buses, personal protective equipment to employees and operating costs.
“This federal funding we helped secure will ensure that critical transportation services in Detroit can continue running during this unprecedented crisis. It will also ensure there’s more personal protective equipment for workers and resources to clean buses,” Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said. “I’m going to continue working to ensure that Michigan not only has the resources needed to get through this pandemic but also that essential workers receive the compensation they’ve earned for putting their health at risk.”
Transit services were essential to keeping Detroit working, Stabenow said.
“The leadership and workers of the Detroit Department of Transportation work hard to make sure that people can get to their jobs, doctor appointments, and grocery stores,” Stabenow said. “This funding will make sure that they’re able to continue to safely provide these vital services for their community while keeping transit workers and riders safe through cleaning and more personal protective equipment.”