# What the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act Does

This bill creates a new federal funding program to help public transit systems across the country improve and expand their bus, train, and other transportation services. The federal government would provide $20 billion per year from 2025 through 2028 specifically for operating costs—the day-to-day expenses of running transit systems like paying drivers, maintaining vehicles, and keeping routes running.

The money gets distributed to cities, states, and Native American tribes based on their current transit operating costs. Essentially, areas that already run larger transit systems get more funding, but no single area can receive more than 80 percent of what it currently spends on operations. This ensures the money spreads across the country rather than concentrating in just a few major cities. Transit agencies can use these funds for practical improvements like running buses more frequently, extending service to new neighborhoods or evening hours, making real-time tracking apps work better, improving safety measures, and training transit workers.

There's a key requirement built into the bill: most of the funding each transit agency receives must go toward serving low-income neighborhoods and areas that currently lack good transit access. Transit agencies also have to survey residents—both people who use transit and those who don't—at least every two years to understand what service improvements people actually need. They must publish these survey results online so the public can see what was asked and what people said.

The bill makes it easier for poor and rural communities to afford transit improvements by allowing the federal government to cover up to 80 percent of operating costs in low-income areas, compared to the standard 50 percent federal share elsewhere. For Native American tribes, the federal government covers 100 percent of costs. Transit agencies must also prove they're maintaining their current level of service with other funding sources—they can't use this new money to replace money they were already spending on transit.

Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act

Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"

Stronger Communities through Better Transit ActThis bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation and related service improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty.Specifically, the bill requires DOT to allocate funding under the program for urbanized areas, states, and Indian tribes that are recipients of funds under either the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) Urbanized Area Formula Funding program or Formula Grants for Rural Areas program. Eligible recipients may use funding for operating costs associated with projects that improve public transportation service for transit-dependent populations and support increased transit ridership (e.g., service expansion, information technology enhancements, and workforce development). DOT must apportion the funding so that recipients receive funds that are proportional to their share of operating costs.The bill also provides for an increased federal cost share for operating assistance for projects or programs carried out in areas of persistent poverty or underserved communities.DOT must set up a multimodal access measurement interface for public agencies to aid transit agencies in determining and reporting on access to jobs and essential services.A grant recipient must (1) report specific information to the FTA for inclusion in the National Transit Database, and (2) survey transit riders and non-riding residents regarding transit service improvements.Further, the bill expands the purposes of the public transportation programs to include supporting public transportation's role in combating climate change through growing/retaining transit ridership.