CRS, Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief (R47002) (CRS R47002, 2022-01-04)
Summary
Congressional Research Service report R47002, "Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief," dated January 4, 2022, with William J. Mallett, Specialist in Transportation Policy, listed under Author Information. The report describes federal assistance to public transportation administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), authorized from FY2022 through FY2026 in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). It states that the IIJA provided about a 67% increase in annual funding compared with the FAST Act period, with funding averaging $12.8 billion annually in FY2016 through FY2021 and $21.4 billion annually in FY2022 through FY2026, excluding $69.5 billion in response to COVID-19. It also reports national ridership of 4.6 billion trips in 2020.
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Federal Public Transportation Program:
In Brief
January 4, 2022
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R47002
Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
What Is Public Transportation? ....................................................................................................... 1
Funding the Federal Transportation Program .................................................................................. 2
How Are Federal Dollars Distributed and Spent? ........................................................................... 4
Program Structure............................................................................................................................ 5
Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5307) .............................................................. 6
State of Good Repair Program (49 U.S.C. §5337) .................................................................... 6
Capital Investment Grants Program (49 U.S.C. §5309) ............................................................ 7
Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (49 U.S.C. §5339(c)) ................................................... 7
Bus and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. §5339) .................................................................. 7
Rural Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5311) ...................................................................... 7
Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (49 U.S.C.
§5310) .................................................................................................................................... 8
New Programs ........................................................................................................................... 8
Figures
Figure 1. Public Transportation Ridership, 1990-2020 ................................................................... 2
Figure 2. Federal Public Transportation Program Funding, FY2016-FY2026 ................................ 3
Figure 3. Federal Public Transportation Program Funding by Program ......................................... 6
Tables
Table 1. Estimated Federal Public Transportation Formula Funding Distribution by
Urbanized Area............................................................................................................................. 4
Table 2. Sources of Funding for Operating and Capital Expenditures in Public
Transportation Provision, 2019 .................................................................................................... 5
Table A-1. Public Transportation Funding by Program ................................................................... 9
Table A-2. Estimated Federal Public Transportation Formula Funding Distribution by
State and Territory ....................................................................................................................... 11
Appendixes
Appendix. Public Transportation Funding Authorized and Appropriated by the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ........................................................................................ 9
Contacts
Author Information........................................................................................................................ 12
Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
Introduction
Federal assistance to public transportation is provided primarily through the public transportation
program administered by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration
(FTA). The federal public transportation program was authorized from FY2022 through FY2026
as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). As with previous
authorization acts, the IIJA funds public transportation from the mass transit account of the
Highway Trust Fund. Unlike previous authorization acts, the IIJA also provides funding with a
multiyear advance appropriation from the general fund of the U.S. Treasury. Consequently, the
IIJA provided a large increase in annual federal funding for public transportation when compared
with the annual amount provided in the previous authorization, the Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94) of 2015.1
Major federal involvement in public transportation dates to the Urban Mass Transportation Act of
1964 (P.L. 88-365). Prior to the mid-1960s there was little public funding of public transportation.
With much lower ridership than existed at the end of World War II and mounting debts, however,
many private transit companies were reorganized as public entities. Federal funding was initially
used to recapitalize transit systems. Today, the focus of the federal program is still on the capital
side, but the program has evolved to support operational expenses in some circumstances, as well
as safety oversight, planning, and research. In FY2020 and FY2021, Congress provided large
supplemental appropriations to support the operational expenses of transit agencies in response to
the effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemic caused an unprecedented
drop in public transportation ridership. The longer-term effects of the health crisis on transit
service and use are uncertain.
What Is Public Transportation?
Public transportation (also known as public transit, mass transit, and mass transportation) is
defined in federal law (49 U.S.C. §5302) as
regular, continuing shared-ride surface transportation services that are open to the general
public or open to a segment of the general public defined by age, disability, or low income;
and … does not include—(i) intercity passenger rail transportation …; (ii) intercity bus
service; (iii) charter bus service; (iv) school bus service; (v) sightseeing service; (vi)
courtesy shuttle service for patrons of one or more specific establishments; or (vii) intra-
terminal or intra-facility shuttle services.
The main forms of public transportation are bus, heavy rail (subway and elevated), commuter rail,
light rail, paratransit (also known as demand response), and ferryboat. In 2019, the year prior to
the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 48% of public transportation trips were made
by bus, 38% by heavy rail, 5% by commuter rail, and 5% by light rail (including streetcars).
Paratransit accounted for about 2% of all public transportation trips, and ferries about 1%.2
Since the end of the Second World War providers of public transportation have struggled to
maintain ridership due to a number of interrelated factors, particularly rising incomes, growing
automobile availability and use, and residential and employment decentralization. Despite the
1 The authorizations in P.L. 114-94 were for FY2016-FY2020; they were extended through FY2021 by the Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (P.L. 116-159).
2 American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book 2021: Appendix A, Washington, DC,
2021, table 2, at https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/public-transportation-fact-book/.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
long-term trend, ridership increased from a low in 1995 of 7.8 billion trips to a high of 10.8
billion trips in 2014 (Figure 1). Ridership then dropped in the years prior to the COVID-19
pandemic to about 10.0 billion trips in each of 2018 and 2019.3 Because of the COVID-19
pandemic national ridership in 2020 was 4.6 billion trips, less than half of what it was a year
earlier.4
Figure 1. Public Transportation Ridership, 1990-2020
Source: American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book 2021: Appendix A,
Washington, DC, 2021, table 1, https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/public-
transportation-fact-book/.
Funding the Federal Transportation Program
The IIJA provided about a 67% increase (in nominal dollars) in annual funding for public
transportation in comparison with the period authorized by the FAST Act, as extended (Figure 2).
Public transportation program funding averaged $12.8 billion annually in the period FY2016
through FY2021, whereas the amount authorized and appropriated in the IIJA was $21.4 billion
annually from FY2022 through FY2026 (unadjusted for inflation). These amounts exclude $69.5
billion in response to COVID-19 and $340 million provided through the Public Transportation
Emergency Relief Program.5
Typically, about 80% of federal public transportation program funding comes from the mass
transit account of the Highway Trust Fund and 20% comes from the general fund of the U.S.
Treasury. The appropriations acts for FY2018 through FY2021 (P.L. 115-141, P.L. 116-6, P.L.
116-94, and P.L. 116-260) provided additional general fund money for several programs that
historically received federal money only from the Highway Trust Fund, thereby raising the
general fund share to about 28% in FY2018, 26% in FY2019, 21% in FY2020, and 22% in
3 CRS Report R45144, Trends in Public Transportation Ridership: Implications for Federal Policy, by William J.
Mallett.
4 Ibid., table 1; American Public Transportation Association, Transit Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2020, at
https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/ridership-report/.
5 For COVID-19 relief, $25 billion was provided in FY2020 in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
Act (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136), $14 billion was provided in FY2021 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(P.L. 116-260), and $30.5 billion was provided in FY2021 in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2). For
more information on the Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program, see CRS Report R45298, Emergency Relief
for Disaster-Damaged Roads and Public Transportation Systems, by Robert S. Kirk and William J. Mallett.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
FY2021. The general fund share of funding in the IIJA for the period FY2022-FY2026 averages
35%.
Figure 2. Federal Public Transportation Program Funding, FY2016-FY2026
(in current dollars)
Source: Senate appropriations reports; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
Note: FAST Act = Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (P.L. 114-94).
Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program and COVID-19 relief funding was appropriated
from the general fund. While most federal funding for public transportation is typically directed
toward capital expenditures, pandemic-related funding was mainly intended to support operating
expenses. This includes employee pay, fuel, and extra costs resulting from the pandemic, such as
the more intensive cleaning of vehicles and stations and the purchase of personal protective
equipment for transit workers. Most of the COVID-19 relief funding was distributed to transit
agencies via the existing urbanized area and rural formulas.6
In addition to FTA monies, federal funding for public transportation is available from several
surface transportation programs that allow federal highway money to be spent on public
transportation projects, and from nontransportation programs in areas such as health, education,
and veterans affairs. In FY2020, about $1.6 billion was transferred (or “flexed”) from highway
programs to public transportation.7 The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability
and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants program (previously known as BUILD and TIGER) has
been another source of federal funding for public transportation. In the period FY2009-FY2021,
about $2.3 billion (in constant 2021 dollars) has been awarded from this source to public
transportation projects, an average of about $180 million per year.8 The federal interagency
Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility identifies over 100 federal nontransportation
programs targeted to people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of low income in
6 Federal Transit Administration, “Apportionments,” at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/apportionments.
7 Congressional Budget Office, “Highway Trust Fund Accounts—CBO’s Baseline Projections, July 2021,” at
https://www.cbo.gov/data/baseline-projections-selected-programs.
8 Estimated by CRS. See also CRS Report R45916, The TIGER/BUILD Program at 10 Years: An Overview, by David
Randall Peterman.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
which transportation is an eligible expense.9 The amount of this nontransportation funding used
for public transportation, however, is unknown.
How Are Federal Dollars Distributed and Spent?
About two-thirds of the funding provided by the IIJA was authorized to be distributed
(apportioned) by formula annually. The remaining amount was authorized to be distributed
competitively or for special purposes, such as capital and preventative maintenance grants to the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Formula funding is distributed to local public
authorities in large urbanized areas, defined as areas with a population of 200,000 or more, and to
state governments for redistribution to small urbanized areas, places with a population of 50,000
to 199,999, and to rural areas.10 Formula factors vary by program. Estimated distributions for
some of the largest urbanized areas can be seen in Table 1. Estimated distribution by
state/territory can be seen in Table A-2.
Table 1. Estimated Federal Public Transportation Formula Funding Distribution by
Urbanized Area
Top 15 Urbanized Area Distributions (in millions of dollars)
Urbanized Area FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Total
New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT 2,761.1 2,814.1 2,882.1 2,937.0 3,006.3 14,400.7
Chicago, IL-IN 767.6 782.4 801.4 816.7 836.1 4,004.3
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 622.5 635.2 651.5 664.7 681.3 3,255.2
Washington, DC-VA-MD 525.6 535.8 548.9 559.5 572.8 2,742.6
Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD 448.8 457.5 468.6 477.6 489.0 2,341.4
Boston, MA-NH-RI 446.5 455.1 466.1 475.0 486.3 2,329.0
San Francisco-Oakland, CA 422.8 431.0 441.4 449.9 460.5 2,205.6
Seattle, WA 267.8 273.1 279.9 285.4 292.4 1,398.6
Miami, FL 235.7 240.5 246.6 251.6 257.8 1,232.2
Baltimore, MD 197.4 201.2 206.1 210.1 215.1 1,030.0
Atlanta, GA 195.8 199.6 204.6 208.6 213.6 1,022.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 172.5 176.0 180.5 184.1 188.7 901.7
San Diego, CA 162.6 165.9 170.1 173.4 177.7 849.7
Houston, TX 144.3 147.3 151.2 154.4 158.4 755.6
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI 115.7 118.1 121.1 123.6 126.7 605.3
Source: Federal Transit Administration, communication with CRS, November 18, 2021.
Note: Amounts are estimated based on data from the 2010 U.S. Census and 2019 National Transit Database.
9 Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, “Program Inventory,” at https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-
guidance/ccam/about/ccam-program-inventory.
10 Urbanized areas are designated by the U.S. Census Bureau and defined as “consisting of a densely settled core
created from census tracts or blocks and adjacent densely settled territory that together have a minimum population of
50,000 people.” U.S. Census Bureau, “Urban Areas for the 2020 Census-Proposed Criteria,” 86 Federal Register
10237-10243, February 19, 2021.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
The costs of providing public transportation service fall into two main categories, operating
expenses and capital expenses. Operating expenses include vehicle operation and maintenance,
maintenance of stations and other facilities, general administration, and purchase of transportation
from private operators. Capital expenses are related to the purchase of equipment, such as buses,
rail lines, and rail stations. In general, federal public transportation programs allow an 80%
maximum matching share for capital projects and a 50% maximum share for operating expenses.
Although comprehensive data are yet to be published, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an
unprecedented effect on transit agency budgets, including operating revenues and sources of
government support. Table 2 provides a national summary of public transportation funding in the
year prior to the pandemic and does not convey the role of the federal government in 2020 or
later. Prior to the pandemic, operating costs accounted for about two-thirds of all costs for public
transportation and capital expenditures for about one-third. Fares and other operating revenues
covered about one-quarter of the total cost, with the remainder provided by federal, state, and
local governments. The federal government supported less than 10% of operating expenditures
prior to the pandemic, but almost 40% of capital expenditures.
Table 2. Sources of Funding for Operating and Capital Expenditures
in Public Transportation Provision, 2019
Operating Capital Total
Millions Millions Millions
of of of
Percent Dollars Percent Dollars Percent Dollars
Fares and Other Income 34.0 $18,740 0.0 $0 23.5 $18,740
Local Government 35.1 $19,353 44.9 $11,048 38.1 $30,401
State Government 22.9 $12,639 22.8 $5,605 22.9 $18,244
Federal Government 7.9 $4,366 32.3 $7,939 15.4 $12,304
Total 100.0 $55,099 100.0 $24,591 100.0 $79,690
Source: American Public Transportation Association, 2021 Public Transportation Fact Book: Appendix A,
Washington, DC, 2021, Table 95, at http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/transitstats.aspx.
Note: Local government outlays include funds from local taxes, toll transfers, and bond proceeds.
Program Structure
FTA administers seven major programs: (1) Urbanized Area Formula; (2) State of Good Repair
(SGR); (3) Capital Investment Grants (CIG, also known as “New Starts”); (4) Rural Area
Formula; (5) Low or No Emission Vehicles; (6) Bus and Bus Facilities; and (7) Enhanced
Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities. These are discussed in more detail below.
There are also a number of other much smaller programs (see Table A-1 for a full listing).
In past surface transportation reauthorization acts, funding for all of the public transportation
programs, except CIG, came from the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund.11 Funding
for CIG was authorized to be appropriated from the U.S. Treasury general fund and required
additional action from Congress to be made available. Funding provided by the IIJA combines
money from the trust fund, appropriated funding from the general fund, and authorized
11 From FY2018-FY2021, general fund appropriations were provided for the Bus and Bus Facilities Program, the State
of Good Repair Program, the High Density States formula, the Rural Formula Program, and bus testing.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
appropriations from the general fund. The combination of these sources of funding varies by
program (Figure 3). For CIG, the IIJA both appropriated and authorized money from the general
fund.
Figure 3. Federal Public Transportation Program Funding by Program
Funding Authorized and Appropriated, FY2022-FY2026
Source: Congressional Research Service based on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5307)
The Urbanized Area Formula Program provides funding for public transportation in urbanized
areas, places designated by the Census Bureau as having populations of 50,000 or more. Funding
provided in the IIJA was $6.4 billion for FY2022, an amount rising to $7.0 billion in FY2026.
Funding can be spent on capital, planning, job access and reverse commute projects, and, in some
circumstances, operating expenses. For urbanized areas under 200,000 the distribution of funds is
based on population, population density, and the number of low-income individuals. In addition
to these factors, in urbanized areas over 200,000 the formula is also based on bus revenue vehicle
miles, passenger miles, and operating costs; and fixed guideway revenue miles, route miles,
passenger miles, and operating costs.
State of Good Repair Program (49 U.S.C. §5337)
The State of Good Repair (SGR) Program provides funding primarily for repairing and upgrading
rail transit systems, but also other fixed-guideway systems (such as passenger ferries and bus
rapid transit) and bus systems that use high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Funding for the SGR
Program totaled $4.5 billion in FY2022, $3.5 billion authorized from the Highway Trust Fund
and $950 million appropriated from the general fund. Funding for the program rises to a total of
$4.8 billion in FY2026.
From the total amount for the SGR Program, $300 million is made available per year for a
competitive rail vehicle replacement program. The remaining amount is distributed by formula.
The formula element of the SGR Program has two components:
The High Intensity Fixed Guideway SGR Program distributes 97.15% of the
funding for maintaining fixed guideway transit systems in a state of good repair.
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
The new formula for distributing these funds uses fixed guideway vehicle miles
and route miles for facilities that have been operating for at least seven years.
The High Intensity Motorbus SGR Program distributes 2.85% of the funds for
transit bus service provided on an HOV facility. Funding is distributed by a
formula that uses high-intensity bus vehicle miles and route miles for revenue
services that have been operating for at least seven years.
Capital Investment Grants Program (49 U.S.C. §5309)
The Capital Investment Grants Program provides funding to support construction of new rail, bus
rapid transit, and ferry systems and to expand existing systems. The IIJA appropriated $1.6 billion
per year from the general fund, and authorized another $3.0 billion per year from the general
fund, subject to appropriation.
Capital Investment Grants funding is available on a competitive basis in which project sponsors
undertake a multistep process to become eligible for funding. A Capital Investment Grants project
must go through three distinct stages: project development, engineering, and construction. For a
type of Capital Investment Grants Program project known as Small Starts—generally those
requesting less than $150 million in federal assistance and costing in total less than $400
million—there are just two phases: project development and construction.
Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (49 U.S.C. §5339(c))
The Low or No Emission Vehicle Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding
for capital expenses to purchase or lease buses that emit low levels of pollutants, including
greenhouse gases. Facilities that support these buses are also eligible for funding. Funding
provided totals about $1.1 billion a year, $1.05 billion appropriated from the general fund and the
rest authorized from the Highway Trust Fund. In the previous authorization of public
transportation programs, as extended, the Low or No Emission Vehicle Program was funded at
$55 million per year from FY2016 through FY2021.
Bus and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. §5339)
The Bus and Bus Facilities Program provides funding for capital expenses to purchase and
rehabilitate buses and to construct bus-related facilities, such as maintenance depots. In FY2022,
the Bus Program was authorized at $980 million, with $604 million (62%) for formula grants and
$376 million (38%) for discretionary grants. Bus Program funding increases to $1.1 billion in
FY2026, with $662 million for formula grants and $412 million for discretionary grants. The
formula portion of the grant program provides each state and territory a minimum allocation ($4
million to states and $1 million to territories), with the remaining funds distributed according to
population and service levels.
Rural Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5311)
The Rural Area Formula Program provides funding to states and Indian tribes for public
transportation outside of urbanized areas. Capital, operating, and planning are all eligible
expenses. Funding provided was $875 million in FY2022, an amount rising to $960 million in
FY2026. The formula used to apportion Rural Area program funds includes rural land area,
population, vehicle revenue miles, and the number of low-income individuals. Funds from the
program are set aside for the Rural Transit Assistance Program, the Public Transportation on
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Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
Indian Reservations Program, and the Appalachian Development Public Transportation
Assistance Program.
Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with
Disabilities Program (49 U.S.C. §5310)
The Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program provides funding to
support specialized public transportation for these population groups. Funding for this program
totaled $421 million in FY2022, an amount that increases to $457 million in FY2026. Of these
amounts, $50 million was appropriated from the general fund and the rest was authorized from
the Highway Trust Fund. Under the law, 60% of the funds are apportioned to large urbanized
areas, 20% to small urbanized areas, and 20% to rural areas. Within these categories, funds are
distributed to specific areas based on the relative size of their elderly and disabled population.
The program requires that projects come from a locally developed, coordinated human services
transportation plan.
New Programs
The IIJA created four new competitive grant programs:
Station Accessibility Program. This program provides funding to improve the
disabled accessibility of older rail transit stations. The program received an
appropriation from the general fund of $350 million per year.
Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants. As a set-aside of the SGR Program, these
grants are for the purchase of replacement transit rail rolling stock. The program
received funding from the Highway Trust Fund of $300 million per year.
Rural Ferry Service Program. This program provides funding for scheduled
ferry service serving at least two rural areas more than 50 miles apart. An
appropriation of $200 million per year is provided from the general fund, and
another $200 million per year is authorized subject to future appropriation.
Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry Pilot Program. This program provides funding
for the purchase of electric or low-emitting ferries or the modification of existing
ferries. A general fund appropriation of $50 million per year is provided, and
another $50 million per year is authorized subject to future appropriation.
Congressional Research Service 8
Appendix. Public Transportation Funding Authorized and Appropriated by
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Table A-1. Public Transportation Funding by Program
(in millions of dollars)
FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Total
Total, Authorization and Appropriation 21,005.0 21,284.0 21,640.0 21,929.0 22,291.0 108,150.0
Total, Highway Trust Fund Authorization and General Fund Appropriation 17,605.0 17,884.0 18,240.0 18,529.0 18,891.0 91,150.0
Highway Trust Fund Authorization (Contract Authority) 13,355.0 13,634.0 13,990.0 14,279.0 14,641.0 69,900.0
Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5307) 6,408.3 6,542.2 6,713.0 6,851.7 7,025.8 33,540.9
State of Good Repair Program (49 U.S.C. §5337) 3,215.5 3,287.8 3,380.9 3,455.7 3,550.5 16,890.4
Competitive Grants for Rail Vehicle Replacement (49 U.S.C. §5337(f)) 300.0 300.0 300.0 300.0 300.0 1,500.0
Bus and Bus Facilities Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5339(a)) 604.0 616.6 632.7 645.8 662.2 3,161.3
Bus and Bus Facilities Competitive Program (49 U.S.C. §5339(b)) 375.7 383.5 393.6 401.7 411.9 1,966.4
Low or No Emission Vehicles (49 U.S.C. §5339(c)) 71.6 73.1 75.0 76.5 78.5 374.6
Rural Formula Program (49 U.S.C. §5311) 875.3 893.6 916.9 935.8 959.6 4,581.3
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Formula (49 U.S.C. §5311(c)(2)(B)) 35.0 35.7 36.7 37.4 38.4 183.3
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Competitive (49 U.S.C. §5311(c)(2)(A)) 8.8 8.9 9.2 9.4 9.6 45.8
Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (49 U.S.C. §5310) 371.2 379.0 388.9 396.9 407.0 1,943.1
Planning (49 U.S.C. $5303-§5305) 184.6 188.5 193.4 197.4 202.4 966.4
Public Transportation Innovation (49 U.S.C. §5312) 36.8 37.6 38.6 39.4 40.4 192.8
Bus Testing Facility (49 U.S.C. §5318) 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.5 26.2
National Transit Database (49 U.S.C. §5335) 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.8 27.5
Technical Assistance and Workforce Development (49 U.S.C. §5314) 11.8 12.1 12.4 12.7 13.0 62.0
Pilot Program for Transit Oriented Development Planning (MAP-21, Section 20005(b)) 13.2 13.4 13.8 14.1 14.4 68.9
CRS-9
FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Total
Pilot Program for Coordinated Access and Mobility (FAST Act, Section 3006(b)) 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5.0 24.1
Administration (49 U.S.C. §5334) 131.0 134.9 139.0 143.1 147.4 695.5
Growing State and High Density States (49 U.S.C. §5340) 741.0 756.5 776.3 792.3 812.5 3,878.6
Appropriation (General Fund) 4,250.0 4,250.0 4,250.0 4,250.0 4,250.0 21,250.0
State of Good Repair Program (49 U.S.C. §5337) 950.0 950.0 950.0 950.0 950.0 4,750.0
Low or No Emission Vehicles (49 U.S.C. §5339(c)) 1,050.0 1,050.0 1,050.0 1,050.0 1,050.0 5,250.0
Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (49 U.S.C. §5310) 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 250.0
Capital Investment Grant Program (49 U.S.C. §5309) 1,600.0 1,600.0 1,600.0 1,600.0 1,600.0 8,000.0
Station Accessibility Program (IIJA, Division J) 350.0 350.0 350.0 350.0 350.0 1,750.0
Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Program (IIJA, Section 71102) 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 250.0
Rural Ferry Program (IIJA, Section 71103) 200.0 200.0 200.0 200.0 200.0 1,000.0
Authorization (General Fund, Subject to Future Appropriation) 3,400.0 3,400.0 3,400.0 3,400.0 3,400.0 17,000.0
Capital Investment Grant Program (49 U.S.C. §5309) 3,000.0 3,000.0 3,000.0 3,000.0 3,000.0 15,000.0
Grants to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (PRIIA, Section 601(f)) 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 150.0
Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Program (IIJA, Section 71102) 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 250.0
Rural Ferry Program (IIJA, Section 71103) 200.0 200.0 200.0 200.0 200.0 1,000.0
Source: Congressional Research Service based on P.L. 117-58.
Notes: MAP-21 = Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (P.L. 112-141); FAST Act = Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (P.L. 114-94); PRIIA =
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-432).
CRS-10
Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
Table A-2. Estimated Federal Public Transportation Formula Funding Distribution by
State and Territory
(in millions of dollars)
State/Territory FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Total
Alabama 76.9 78.5 80.4 82.0 84.0 401.8
Alaska 77.6 79.0 80.8 82.3 84.1 403.7
America Samoa 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 7.5
Arizona 172.6 176.2 180.7 184.4 189.0 902.9
Arkansas 46.7 47.6 48.7 49.7 50.8 243.6
California 1,961.9 2,001.4 2,051.8 2,092.7 2,144.1 10,251.9
Colorado 181.7 185.4 190.1 193.9 198.7 949.8
Connecticut 249.6 254.5 260.7 265.7 272.0 1,302.5
Delaware 35.7 36.4 37.3 37.9 38.8 186.1
District of Columbia 301.5 306.9 313.8 319.4 326.4 1,567.9
Florida 527.5 538.4 552.3 563.6 577.8 2,759.6
Georgia 280.4 286.0 293.1 298.8 306.1 1,464.3
Guam 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 11.4
Hawaii 60.4 61.6 63.2 64.4 66.0 315.7
Idaho 37.2 37.9 38.8 39.5 40.4 193.8
Illinois 854.1 870.6 891.8 908.9 930.4 4,455.8
Indiana 128.7 131.3 134.7 137.4 140.8 672.8
Iowa 58.5 59.6 61.1 62.3 63.8 305.2
Kansas 49.7 50.7 51.9 52.9 54.2 259.4
Kentucky 75.4 76.9 78.8 80.4 82.3 393.7
Louisiana 91.6 93.4 95.8 97.7 100.1 478.5
Maine 48.1 49.0 50.1 51.1 52.2 250.6
Maryland 353.9 361.0 370.0 377.4 386.6 1,848.9
Massachusetts 536.4 546.8 560.2 570.9 584.5 2,798.8
Michigan 196.5 200.6 205.8 210.1 215.4 1,028.3
Minnesota 163.9 167.2 171.4 174.8 179.1 856.4
Mississippi 41.8 42.6 43.7 44.5 45.5 218.1
Missouri 140.1 142.9 146.5 149.4 153.0 732.0
Montana 30.4 30.9 31.6 32.2 32.9 158.0
N. Mariana Islands 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 7.4
Nebraska 36.6 37.3 38.2 38.9 39.8 191.0
Nevada 89.6 91.4 93.7 95.6 98.0 468.2
New Hampshire 24.3 24.7 25.2 25.7 26.2 126.1
New Jersey 855.0 872.0 893.8 911.4 933.6 4,465.8
Congressional Research Service 11
Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
State/Territory FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Total
New Mexico 72.6 74.0 75.8 77.3 79.1 378.9
New York 2,155.7 2,197.1 2,250.1 2,292.9 2,346.9 11,242.7
North Carolina 175.8 179.4 184.1 187.8 192.6 919.7
North Dakota 21.2 21.6 22.0 22.4 22.9 110.1
Ohio 260.2 265.5 272.3 277.8 284.7 1,360.5
Oklahoma 67.5 68.8 70.5 71.9 73.6 352.3
Oregon 152.4 155.4 159.3 162.4 166.3 795.8
Pennsylvania 613.9 625.9 641.1 653.4 669.0 3,203.3
Puerto Rico 90.4 92.3 94.7 96.6 99.1 473.2
Rhode Island 55.9 57.0 58.4 59.5 60.8 291.6
South Carolina 71.4 72.8 74.6 76.1 77.9 372.7
South Dakota 24.0 24.4 24.9 25.4 25.9 124.7
Tennessee 124.5 127.1 130.3 132.9 136.2 651.0
Texas 648.9 662.4 679.7 693.7 711.3 3,396.0
Utah 127.4 129.9 133.1 135.7 138.9 665.0
Vermont 14.9 15.2 15.4 15.7 16.0 77.2
Virgin Islands 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5 16.7
Virginia 236.0 241.0 247.3 252.4 258.8 1,235.4
Washington 368.2 375.6 385.1 392.7 402.3 1,923.9
West Virginia 37.5 38.2 39.1 39.8 40.7 195.4
Wisconsin 114.6 116.9 119.9 122.4 125.4 599.2
Wyoming 17.9 18.2 18.6 18.9 19.3 93.0
Total 13,243.8 13,505.7 13,840.8 14,112.0 14,453.6 69,155.9
Source: Federal Transit Administration, communication with Congressional Research Service, November 18,
2021.
Note: Amounts are estimated based on data from the 2010 U.S. Census and 2019 National Transit Database.
Author Information
William J. Mallett
Specialist in Transportation Policy
Congressional Research Service 12
Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief
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