Downeaster funding extended
The federal funding that supports the Amtrak Downeaster, originally scheduled to expire Sept. 30, has been extended for another month.
Congress recently passed a stop-gap measure to hold transportation funding at 2009 levels until Oct. 31, preserving for another month the $6 million in federal money the Downeaster train has received annually since 2001, according to The Forecaster. The federal transportation bill is one of 12 spending bills Congress was not able to push through by the end of September, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year. The stop-gap measure, signed by President Obama, gives Congress time to consider whether to reauthorize the $8.7 billion transportation bill or pass another resolution delaying the decision.
Despite the extension, the train's future funding is still in question. Funds from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program provide a majority of the Downeaster's $8 million annual operating budget. Congress could decide to reauthorize the transportation spending bill for another six years but opt against reinstating an exemption that allowed the state to use CMAQ funding to operate the Downeaster, according to the paper.
Go to the article from The Forecaster >>
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