The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $183.4 million across two grant programs to reinforce physical and cybersecurity measures across the nation’s ports and public transit systems.
The initiatives include the Port Security Grant Program and the Transit Security Grant Program. With cyber threats evolving and growing increasingly sophisticated, FEMA’s funding is designed to empower communities to bolster their defenses. The programs align with the federal administration’s effort to call upon communities and industries to prioritize their own resilience measures and capacity to maintain services.
FEMA distributed $95 million through the Fiscal Year 2026 Port Security Grant Program in the latest round of funding. Recipients consisted of 202 port authorities and facility operators alongside various state and municipal governments across 34 states and territories. The awards will be used to bolster port security by conducting risk assessments, buying surveillance systems and upgrading cyber defenses.
The entities receiving the largest awards include:
- Harbor Department in Los Angeles-Long Beach – $5.3 million.
- City of New York Fire Department – $3.7 million.
- City of New York Police Department – $3.3 million.
- Port of Houston Authority – $2.4 million.
- SSA Terminals, LLC in Puget Sound – $2.1 million.
- San Diego Unified Port District – $2 million.
The remaining funding, constituting approximately $88.4 million through the Fiscal Year 2026 Transit Security Grant Program, will go toward 21 public transportation systems. The systems typically refer to intra-city bus, commuter bus, ferries and all forms of passenger rail that serve Urban Area Security Initiative-designated high-risk urban areas.
The awards will help enable recipients to safeguard critical surface transportation infrastructure by conducting risk assessments, providing additional staff training and acquiring new capabilities. Entities receiving the largest awards include:
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority – $31.7 million.
- New Jersey Transit Corp. – $9.2 million.
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority – $7.5 million.
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – $6.9 million.
- Chicago Transit Authority – $6.6 million.
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority – $6.4 million.
Photo by Chris Duan from Pexels
For more of the latest from the expansive government marketplace, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals. Check out our national contracting newsletter here.
