Reported by Brandon Lewis for Mass Transit.
On April 22, the South West Transit Association (SWTA) hosted a webinar to discuss the implications of the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization legislation. SWTA Executive Director Rich Sampson discussed how the Surface Transportation Authorization impacts the transportation industry as a whole, including public transit.
According to Sampson, the key to the success of the Surface Transportation Authorization is formula funding through the Federal Transit Administration, which provides funding to transit agencies and Tribal Nations through either federal or state funding. Most of the programs found under the formula funding includes programs that start with a ‘5’:
- Section 5303 – Metropolitan planning
- Section 5304 – Statewide planning
- Section 5307/5340 – Urban transit formula
- Section 5310 – Enhanced mobility for older adults and people with disabilities formula
- Section 5311- Rural transit formula
- Section 5337- State of good repair competitive
- Section 5339 – Bus and bus facilities and low/no-emission vehicles formula and competitive
According to Sampson, the way to change the amount of federal funding awarded is through either population (of the region or area) or the service details (frequency, number of riders, etc.). More money will be awarded to agencies that have more people in their service areas and have more riders.
The reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act is vital this year because it is the last year of IIJA funding. The IIJA was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in November 2021 and expires on Sept. 30, 2026. The IIJA provided $550 billion total in new investments, including $274 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and seven percent of the total in investments for transit, which amounts to an average of $20-22 billion a year in annual transit funding.
The reauthorization must pass both the Senate and House and be signed by the president. The Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee of the Senate handles the public transportation portion of the bill, and in the House, the Transporation and Infrastructure (T&i) Committee tackle transit, highways and other programs.
Most recently, the committee held a hearing April 9 to review transit policies and programs. Witnesses included Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nathanial P. Ford, Prairie Hills Transit Executive Director Barbara K. Cline, RATP Dev USA CEO Matthew Booterbaugh, AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan and Reason Foundation Senior Managing Director of Transportation Policy Baruch Feigenbaum. The witnesses explained the importance of fully funding public transit and the consequences of what could come should the proper funding not be authorized.
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