• Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Supplier's Directory
    1. Management

    U.S. Rep. Johnson introduces bill that would provide $80 billion to transit over four years

    Jan. 19, 2024
    The proposal would support transit operating budgets with a goal of delivering more frequent service and prioritizing service to underserved communities.
    MARTA file image
    Rep. Johnson’s office references an analysis by Transit Center that found his proposal could result in a 40 percent gain in transit service in the Atlanta area.
    Rep. Johnson’s office references an analysis by Transit Center that found his proposal could result in a 40 percent gain in transit service in the Atlanta area.

    U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) has re-introduced his Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act. The proposal would authorize $80 billion in transit funding over four years to support operating budgets. 

    The bill was first introduced in 2021, with an aim to provide funding to transit agencies for more frequent transit service and to prioritize service to communities with poor service, disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty. Under Johnson’s proposal, federal funding recipients would receive 50 percent of their average annual operating costs based on a three-year period. Funding recipients would also be required to report certain statistics to the Federal Transit Administration, including frequency of service, how many jobs and essential services are accessible by transit and show that a community survey is conducted every two years. 

    “Transit in our communities is as essential as food on our tables, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads,” said Rep. Johnson. “This kind of funding is a game-changer for Atlanta and communities across the nation. Simply put, people could get to more places in less time using transit. Jobs, schools and other daily destinations that previously took too long to reach would become more accessible. People would feel less strain on household budgets as their transportation costs shrink. They would have more time to spend with their families as time spent commuting falls.”

    What’s included in the proposed Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act:

    • $20 billion per year would be authorized in federal matching funds for public transportation operating expenses associated with improving transportation service and increasing transit ridership.

    • Funds would be distributed to every recipient of FTA urbanized area and rural area formula funds, proportional to their share of operating costs, which would be 50 percent of their average annual operating costs during a three-year period. 

    • Increase the federal share of operating costs rural transit agencies to 80 percent (matching the federal share these agencies are entitled to for capital projects).

    The proposal comes at a time when transit agencies are facing deficits brought on by a combination of increased expenses due to inflation, continued reduced ridership as hybrid work becomes more normal and a persistent hiring crisis that has resulted in some agencies reducing service due to lack of available operators. 

    “Getting people to work and providing essential services is the primary purpose of the transportation system and it fails if it can only do that for people who have the money and ability to drive,” said Director of Transportation for America Beth Osborne. “With the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, Rep. Johnson not only offers needed support for increased transit service to connect people with the things they need, but for the high quality, dependable transit service that people require for true access to opportunity.”

    Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) supports the proposal, saying it “would dramatically improve the lives of working men and women.”

    “[This legislation] would replace the government’s current transit funding scheme, which is completely asinine and void of common sense. Transit agencies would be able to increase and improve bus and rail service so working communities don’t just survive, but thrive,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen.

    Text of the proposed Stronger Communities Throug hBetter Transit Act is linked here. 

    About the Author

    Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director

    Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine and group editorial director of the Infrastructure and Aviation Group at Endeavor Business Media. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the editorial direction of the group 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.

    Email