(a) With respect to all participants other than any Metro-East Transit District participant, the Department shall allocate the funds to be made available to each participant under this Article for the following fiscal year and shall notify the chief official of each participant not later than the first day of the fiscal year of this amount. For Fiscal Year 1975, notification shall be made not later than January 1, 1975, of the amount of such allocation. In determining the allocation for each participant, the Department shall estimate the funds available to the participant from the Downstate Public Transportation Fund for the purposes of this Article during the succeeding fiscal year, and shall allocate to each participant the amount attributable to it which shall be the amount paid into the Downstate Public Transportation Fund under Section 2-3 from within its boundaries. Said allocations may be exceeded for participants receiving assistance equal to one-third of their eligible operating expenses, only if an allocation is less than one-third of such participant’s eligible operating expenses, provided, however, that no other participant is denied its one-third of eligible operating expenses. Beginning in Fiscal Year 1997, said allocation may be exceeded for participants receiving assistance equal to the percentage of their eligible operating expenses provided for in paragraph (b) of Section 2-7, only if allocation is less than the percentage of such participant’s eligible operating expenses provided for in paragraph (b) of Section 2-7, provided however, that no other participant is denied its percentage of eligible operating expenses.
     (b) With regard to any Metro-East Transit District organized under the Local Mass Transit District Act and serving one or more of the Counties of Madison, Monroe and St. Clair during Fiscal Year 1989, the Department shall allocate the funds to be made available to each participant for the following and succeeding fiscal years and shall notify the chief official of each participant not later than the first day of the fiscal year of this amount. Beginning July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2008, the Department shall allocate the amount paid into the Metro-East Public Transportation Fund to the District serving primarily the County of Madison.