PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon is receiving more than $153 million from the Federal Transit Administration to support public transit, Congressman Peter DeFazio announced Wednesday.

The funding will become available in Fiscal Year 2022.

“Transit connects our communities, our families, our businesses, and our lives,” the Oregon Democrat said. “Investments in transit reduce congestion on our roads, improve our environment, and help us deal with the existential threat of climate change.” 

DeFazio said he’s proud to have advocated for and secured historic levels of funding to improve transit infrastructure in Oregon. He said the Biden administration is distributing funds to transit projects across the nation. 

The funding for Oregon comes from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and advance appropriations, both provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

The funding was provided to states and urbanized areas. They will then distribute the funds to specific transit agencies and providers.