https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/dy8dpw/us-public-transit-uncertain-future-wmata-mta-muni

This year, Congress did something it had never done before: as part of the CARES Act, it gave transit agencies $25 billion to run trains and buses.

For those who pay close attention to American public transportation policy, this was a big deal. Never before had Congress given transit agencies so much money to simply provide service, or for "operations" as it is known in the industry. Typically, the federal government gives transit agencies money to buy new vehicles, build new lines or conduct maintenance, which are all important. But Congress never provided this much money to do the most expensive part of public transportation: provide frequent service by subsidizing the cost of running more trains and buses, even though that is what transit users want most.