Westchester Buses Receive $300K in Sandy Aid

The county's Bee-Line bus system recieved a $300,000 boost from the federal government on Tuesday, as funds alloted to help cope with Hurricane Sandy's aftermath begin making their way into local coffers.

The infusion—$317,000, precisely—is a grant to reimburse Westchester for the extra costs the bus system endured during and after the tempest.

County staff and employees with Liberty Lines, Bee-Line's operator, surveyed roads, monitored delays and closures, protected vehicles and helped staff Westchester's Emergency Operations Center throughout the storm, officials said.

"Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of Westchester County and required transit officials to put significant resources into preparation, emergency response and clean up," Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) said.

"As Westchester County’s families and businesses continue to recover from Sandy, the announcement of this critical federal aid for the county is welcome news and will help ease the financial burden of the county’s Sandy response," she added.

Sandy knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers in the area—some for for weeks on end—and claimed four lives in the Lower Hudson Valley alone.

The funds being awarded come from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, a bill passed by Congress in January.