. (ÂPhoto by Richard B. Levine)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Public transit systems straining to win back riders after being crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a $3.7 billion boost to stay afloat and invest in electric buses. The MTA will receive an additional $769 million dollars. It’s part of several initiatives being announced Monday by the Biden administration to promote green-friendly transit as workers begin returning to offices. The Transportation Department says it’s awarding $2.2 billion in coronavirus relief funding to 35 transit agencies in 18 states. The money would be used to prop up day-to-day operations hurt by lost revenue from reduced ridership. Another $1.5 billion in grants will be made available under President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law to purchase low-emission buses and build bus facilities.
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