The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Monday would provide up to $108 billion in federal money for transit.
Noted as the largest investment in American infrastructure in generations, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will boost transit funding for communities all over the country by an average of 30 percent to help address maintenance backlogs, modernization, and expansion.
“As the transit industry renews ridership, this historic support will help us transform the way we plan and use public transportation in the United States,” said Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “Long-overdue investments in transit infrastructure will deliver new and expanded public transit services, especially in communities that have suffered from historical funding inequities.”
The FTA estimated the bill’s new funding would help transit agencies reduce their current maintenance backlog by 15 percent and replace more than 500 aging subway, light rail, and commuter rail cars. Additionally, the agency said, the funding would modernize the country’s transit fleet by replacing more than 10,000 fossil fuel powered transit vehicles with electric or low-emission vehicles.
Key funding levels for public transportation in the law over the next five years include increased funding for FTA formula and competitive grant programs; up to $23 billion for the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, with $8 billion guaranteed to invest in new high-capacity transit projects; four new competitive grant programs, including $1.75 billion for All Stations Accessibility Program, $1.5 billion for Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants, $1 billion for Ferry Service for Rural Communities, and $250 million of Electric or Low-Emitting Ferry pilot programs; $193 million for transit research activities; and $62 million for technical assistance and workforce development activities.