Congresswoman Matsui Announces a Nearly $100,000 Federal Award to Sacramento Regional Transit District

Press Release

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) today announced that the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) has received two grants totaling $93,287 from the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Fiscal Year 2012 Transit Security Grant Program. The federal program provides funding for enhancement of security measures at critical transit infrastructure including bus, ferry and rail systems.

"I am pleased with the Department of Homeland Security's decision to provide funding to the Sacramento Regional Transit to aid transit employees in preparing for emergencies," said Congresswoman Doris Matsui. "Safe and efficient public transportation is essential for our region's development, and this funding will help ensure our buses and light rail continue to be safe travel options for Sacramento area residents."

Two RT projects received funding under the FY 2012 Transit Security Grant Program. $64,979 was granted to provide DHS approved security training to RT police officers and Sheriff's Deputies, as well as to pass on the training to RT operators and supervisors through a variety of avenues.

An additional $28,308 grant was provided to SRTD to fund two emergency preparedness drills, one primarily focused on the bus system, the other focused on the light rail system. Each drill would last four hours and include local emergency response personnel.

"This federal Transit Security Grant Program award will allow RT to continue its efforts to prepare our employees to prevent and respond to potential safety and security threats," Mike Wiley, RT General Manager/CEO, stated. "This funding will enable RT to not only enhance our training program but to also practice employee roles and responsibilities during simulated emergency events. The ultimate goal is to create a safer transit environment for our passengers."

The DHS FY 2012 Transit Security Grant Program provided $87,500,000 in grants to the Nation's high-threat urban areas to create a sustainable, risk-based effort to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism, and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.

Source