Durbin Announces More Than $6 Million in FEMA Grants for Chicago Transit
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made $6,539,988 in grants available for Chicago area transit security.
“The funding announced today will help increase passenger safety along Chicago area transit lines that provide nearly two million rides each week day,” said Durbin. “As more and more people are choosing to leave their cars at home for their daily commute, we must ensure that public transit is not only an affordable, reliable, environmentally friendly alternative but also a safe one.”
Today’s funding is part of a $77.8 million announcement for transit security projects nationwide that employ visible, unpredictable deterrence measures including canine teams, mobile explosives detection screening teams, and Anti-Terrorism teams. Funding also provided for shovel ready capital projects for asset hardening and other security projects. Both CTA and Metra have a number of these types of security projects underway and in the planning stages. The following agencies will receive funding under today’s announcement:
• Chicago Transit Authority: $4,869,000
• Northeast Illinois Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra): $1,670,988