South West Transit Association breaks down upcoming reauthorization of Surface Transportation legislation
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.
During the webinar, Sampson explained the three “A’s” of federal funding:
- Authorization: Congress sets the funding level specific programs are expected to receive during the course of several years, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
- Appropriation: Congressional approval of a previously authorized funding level for a fiscal year, often as part of the federal budget, such as Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations.
- Apportionment: Apportioned funding distributed to specific recipients through formula programs by the federal agency charged with administering that program, such as the 5311 Tribal Transit Apportionment Tables.
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.
Sampson notes the IIJA was mostly handed by the Senate. With this reauthorization, the T&I Committee wants a say in making sure their vision is carried forward. The general timeline for the T&I Committe’s reauthorization is the following:
- April-May: Stakeholder comment
- Early May: Member Day hearing
- May-June: Member Portal is open
- September: The rail portion of the bill is drafted
- October: The highway and transit portion of the bill is drafted
- November-December: The House Floor will consider the bill
- January-March 2026: Both the House and Senate will conference.
Some big picture items currently being discussed as it relates to transit include:
- Consolidation of the discretionary grant programs at USDOT and bolstering formula programs.
- Ways to efficiently invest in rail programs that include incentivizing the private sector for their involvement.
Sampson notes that USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy has made it clear the Trump Administration intends to focus on projects for federal needs and not just local, and that the administration has promised to focus on projects that help lower transportation costs for families.
“We’re not worried about the hotbed topics in both political parties. Don’t get consumed about the heated discussions in Congress. Transit is a bipartisan issue,” Sampson said.
The House T&I Committee has already begun collecting feedback and information from various public transit stakeholders through a couple of hearings as the committee prepares to work on the reauthorization bill.
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.
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.
