The U.S. Department of Transportation made $7.6 billion available in annual funding for states, local communities and transit agencies nationwide to help maintain bus and transit rail operations and provide for capital construction and maintenance projects.

"The Obama Administration is connecting people with the places they need to go and providing them with energy efficient alternatives," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "These critical dollars will help smaller cities and rural communities that rely heavily on federal investments to keep their transit systems running."

The funds were announced in the Federal Transit Administration's annual "apportionment notice." Each year the FTA publishes one or more apportionment notices that show how the Congressional dollars for transit is distributed among urbanized and non-urbanized areas throughout the country.

"By providing the critical support that our public transportation systems need, we can offer Americans real, efficient transit choices rather than being held captive by the unpredictable price at the pump," said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. "We're committed to providing the resources our communities need to deliver affordable, safe, and reliable transportation options that will also help families keep more of their hard-earned cash."

Transit providers, including state and local governments and transit agencies, apply for these annual funds in the form of federal grants for infrastructure projects, such as the construction or repair of transit buildings-including bus and rail stations and track repair-or the purchase, rebuilding or refurbishing of transit vehicles.