LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been awarded $1.24 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funds, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Jan. 12. The funds are intended to help transit agencies around the country maintain service and keep workers on the payroll as surging COVID-19 cases strain the economy. “Public transportation has helped people reach their jobs at hospitals, grocery stores, ports and more throughout this pandemic,” said Buttigieg, who had visited Long Beach on Tuesday to discuss progress being made to supply chain disruptions and the backlog of container vessels. “This funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan will help keep transit service running, protect transit employees from layoffs and ensure people can get where they need to go.” The Federal Transit Administration’s Administrator, Nuria Fernandez, said, “As our nation’s transit systems recover from COVID-19, the American Rescue Plan funds ensure that they continue to …