EUGENE, Ore. -- Rep. Peter DeFazio announced today he secured $17 million in additional COVID-19 relief funds for Lane Transit District (LTD).

The funds will be used to improve ongoing transit services and protect the health and safety of frontline workers who rely on LTD.

“These funds will ensure LTD can continue providing reliable and frequent transit service while it grapples with reduced ridership and declining tax revenue, allowing them to remain open and accessible for essential workers," DeFazio said. "In addition, the funding will be used to protect the wages of transit workers who are on the front lines of the epidemic and who continue to keep buses and trains running on time at great risk to their own personal health."

These funds come as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 which was passed by Congress this past December. 

The additional $17 million will be added to the approximately $25 million DeFazio previously secured for LTD last spring under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.