Management

More than $1 billion in transit projects included in updated INVEST Act

June 8, 2021

The updated legislative text includes a list of Member Designated Projects including more than $1 billion for transit projects.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

METRO Blue Line on existing track; an extension of the line was included in the INVEST Act and the project would receive $20 million if the legislation is passed into law.

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure published updated text of the INVEST in America Act, the committee’s $547-billion, five-year surface transportation proposal, which now includes a list of Member Designated Projects.

“I’m proud to announce the Member Designated Projects that were awarded funding today, and I thank Ranking Member Sam Graves for working with me and leading efforts on the Republican side of the aisle,” said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04). “With our reforms to the process to ensure transparency and local support, it certainly was not an easy nor quick task for our committee to vet thousands of submissions. But it was absolutely worth it to give elected representatives the chance to directly advocate on behalf of their districts in our surface transportation bill. Together, we can help give viable projects the funding they need to get across the finish line, one of many steps we can take to get moving on the backlog of badly-needed infrastructure projects located in every congressional district across the country.”

A total of 2,383 projects were submitted for consideration to be included in the proposed legislation. The revised bill text includes $5.6 billion for 1,473 projects. The updated text includes 237 transit specific projects that could see more than $1 billion in total funding should the bill pass into law.

Five transit projects received $20 million in the bill proposal including:

Valley Link Implementation of Sustainability Blueprint for project sponsor Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority;
Guam Public Transit Bus Shelters for project sponsor Guam Regional Transit Authority;
Interstate 95/Greenbelt METRO/MARC Station Access and Redevelopment Project in Greenbelt, Md., for project sponsor Maryland Department of Transportation/Prince George's County Government;
METRO Blue Line Extension in Brooklyn Park, Minn., for project sponsor Hennepin County; and
54 Scott Street BOOST Corridor Project for project sponsor Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County.

The updated text to the bill is available here with the Member Designated Projects appearing on pages 47 to 180. The legislation will undergo markup on Wednesday, June 9.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.