SCHUMER ANNOUNCES NYC AREA WILL RECEIVE NEARLY $60 MILLION IN NEW CRITICAL TRANSIT SECURITY FUNDING
New Funding Will Come from Economic Stimulus Package and Go to the MTA and Port Authority
DHS Issued Terror Alert for Mass Transit Systems in NYC and Across the Country as Law Enforcement Beefed Up Security
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Department of Homeland Security will send the New York City area nearly $60 million in funding to beef up transit security. The announcement comes a day after DHS issued a terror alert for mass transit systems in New York City and across the country. Schumer said the economic stimulus package included $150 million in total to help mass transit agencies beef up security, with the New York City receiving a significant share. As part of this announcement of new funding for capital projects, $11.8 million will go to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and $48.3 million will go to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
"This critical funding will allow the MTA and the Port Authority to beef up security on the rails to better protect New York's commuters as new threats continue to loom," Senator Schumer said. "It is vital that we have the best and most sophisticated bomb detection equipment in place to ensure that the loss of life that we saw in London and Madrid doesn't happen in New York City or anywhere else."
Yesterday, New York City transportation officials moved to ratchet up security at major rail hubs, law enforcement sources said Tuesday that law enforcement authorities were conducting more visits to truck rental companies and chemical suppliers as part of the major terrorism probe that led to the arrest of three men over the weekend.
Today's announcement awarded a total of $72.2 million in transit funding to four transit agencies across the country, along with additional funding for port security and fire departments.
