Since our last post in early April describing the CARES Act, Congress has refilled the pot of funding for small business loans and provided funding to hospitals and testing. It is much less clear at this point what is next as Congress tries to address COVID-19 and its impact on the economy.

Local and state governments are issuing stay at home orders and asking that only essential workers leave home for work and for everyone to stay home unless they have an essential trip like getting groceries or going to medical appointments. Many people do not have the privilege of staying home and will continue to require transportation options to get to and from essential jobs, grocery stores, and other services. This pandemic shines a spotlight on everyone’s need for safe, affordable and healthy transportation options and makes it clear that public transit is an essential service.