Local governments missed out on spending nearly $120 million in Federal Transit Administration earmarks that were available until September 2009, when the country was still steeped in recession. The $119.2 million, approved by Congress under SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users), was set aside for mass transit projects around the country, including buying new city buses and building light rail systems. For a variety of reasons, local officials did not use these federal funds. In some cases projects were cancelled or plans were altered that made a project no longer eligible for the funding. The money now will be reallocated by the Department of Transportation to assist with other projects.