Op-Ed: Five transportation policies that could bridge political divides in Congress’ upcoming surface transportation reauthorization

As Congress gears up for the next surface transportation reauthorization, the transit industry has a golden opportunity to push for practical policy modifications that can yield outsized benefits. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act injected unprecedented funding into transit, yet there remain low-hanging fruit policy changes that cost little but could significantly improve service and accountability. From how we measure transit service to how we support the people and products that keep it running, a few common-sense reforms could strengthen public transportation across the country.  

Incorporate service frequency into NTD reporting 

Transit agencies report reams of data to the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD)—covering ridership, vehicle counts, miles and more—yet frequency of service is not explicitly tracked. Riders, however, care deeply about how often the bus or train comes. Making service frequency a core reported metric would highlight the availability of convenient transit.  

If NTD reporting included standardized measures such as average headways or percentage of population with service every 15 minutes, agencies would have new incentives to maintain or improve frequency. Another option is allowing a portion of federal funds to cover operating costs for agencies that commit to frequency targets, which would be a break from tradition, as federal transit aid has been mostly restricted to capital expenses since 1998​.  

Easing this prohibition, even modestly, would empower cities to keep service on the road instead of sidelining buses for lack of operating funds. By tying funds to service frequency, Congress would encourage transit providers to put the rider first, making transit a more reliable option and encouraging agencies to focus on the all-important rider experience of not having to wait too long for the next ride. 

Strengthen Buy America and U.S. transit manufacturing 

Broad, bipartisan support for Buy America has been a hallmark of federal transportation bills​, and the upcoming reauthorization is an opportunity to reaffirm that commitment. Recent laws bolstered Buy America. For example, the Build America, Buy America Act expanded requirements so that all iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials in federally funded infrastructure projects be U.S.-made​. In the transit realm, this means the buses, railcars and station components purchased with federal dollars should continue to be built by American workers.  

Congress should maintain these hard-fought provisions or even strengthen them, ensuring that transit investments translate into domestic jobs and industrial capacity. At the same time, improvements can be made to implement the rules more smoothly.  

Consistent enforcement, greater transparency and timely processing of waivers for truly unavailable items would help transit agencies meet requirements without unnecessary delays​. In striking the right balance, lawmakers can uphold the spirit of Buy America—supporting U.S. manufacturing and innovation—while delivering transit projects on schedule.  

​The impact of robust Buy America policies is already visible in communities like Hornell, N.Y. There, Alstom runs  a passenger railcar manufacturing plant, building next-generation trains with over 95 percent domestic content​. This didn’t happen by accident. It’s the product of Buy America driving suppliers to set up shop in the U.S. and hire locally. Today, hundreds of American workers in Hornell are assembling modern trainsets on American factory floors, an outcome that boosts the local economy and the nation’s supply chain resilience. Similar success stories can be found in bus assembly plants from North Dakota to California, all enabled by federal domestic preference rules.  

Support and grow the transit workforce 

No transit reform can succeed if there’s not enough trained people to drive the buses, operate the trains and maintain the vehicles. Right now, transit agencies throughout the U.S.  are facing an acute workforce shortage. In 2022, a staggering 96 percent of transit agencies reported difficulty hiring operators and mechanics, and 84 percent said these shortages were forcing service cuts​. The worker shortfall was intensified by COVID-19 pandemic-era retirements and a competitive job market, and it has left buses idling and trips canceled even when funding is available. To make good on promises of more frequent service, agencies first need operators in the driver’s seat. Congress can help by boosting workforce development initiatives in the transit bill.  

One practical step would be increasing dedicated funding for training programs. The FTA already partners on a Transit Workforce Center and other efforts to recruit and retain workers​ but demand far outstrips these resources. Additional grants or formula set-asides specifically for frontline workforce development would enable agencies to expand recruitment pipelines, improve operator pay during training and upskill mechanics for advanced vehicle technologies. In fact, as transit fleets modernize, ongoing training is essential. Today’s bus mechanics need skills in high-voltage systems, software and diagnostics that weren’t required a decade ago​.  

Streamline project delivery for transit improvements 

Even as we focus on operations, we shouldn’t lose sight of the need to expand and upgrade transit infrastructure – and to do so faster and more efficiently. Major transit projects in the U.S. are notoriously slow and costly to construct. Complex rail expansions often stretch well over a decade from concept to opening. For example, in the Seattle region, planning and constructing a new light-rail line typically takes 12 to 17 years under the status quo process​. Such timelines lag far behind peer nations and can frustrate riders and taxpayers alike.  

The next reauthorization bill could tackle this by streamlining project delivery and cutting red tape for transit construction. Congress has some precedent to build on. Past bills have introduced expedited project delivery pilots and expanded the use of categorical exclusions (CEs) in environmental reviews. These tools have shown promise in the highway sector, where many state departments of transportation credit CEs with speeding up smaller projects​. It’s time to extend more of that benefit to transit.  

One reform would be to broaden the types of transit projects that qualify for expedited review. For instance, allowing certain bus rapid transit corridors or station upgrades with minimal environmental impact to bypass years of analysis and move quickly to construction. Congress could also make permanent the pilot authority that lets a limited number of transit projects proceed with a simplified, fast-track approval if they meet rigorous criteria for local funding and private involvement.  

In essence, the federal role should shift toward facilitating good projects rather than unintentionally hindering them. Of course, none of this means compromising on environmental protection or community input; it means eliminating needless delays within the review and permitting process. If done right, these measures can help transit agencies deliver improvements on a timeline that matches the urgency of our mobility needs.  

Accelerate technology adoption 

A practical next step is to encourage transit agencies to adopt proven technological upgrades that improve efficiency and rider experience. Many systems still rely on outdated fare collection and communications tools. By facilitating the rollout of contactless fare payment, real-time service tracking, predictive maintenance software and targeted automation, policymakers can harvest significant service improvements without heavy political lift.  

Importantly, agencies would retain flexibility to choose technologies that fit their needs, ensuring this push for innovation remains practical and politically feasible. On the rider-facing side, technology integration offers immediate benefits. Contactless fare systems, for example, speed up boarding by replacing cash transactions.  

Research shows that switching from cash to smartcard or contactless payments can nearly halve bus dwell times, potentially shortening overall journey durations by up to 10 percent​. Likewise, providing real-time bus or train arrival information empowers riders and enhances their confidence in the system. In cities like Chicago and New York, adding real-time tracking led to roughly a two percent bump in ridership on equipped routes, translating into millions in additional fare revenue​.  

These gains in convenience and reliability directly support higher ridership and better service quality, reinforcing the impact of investments in frequent service and fare policy improvements already on the table. Operational technologies behind the scenes promise further payoffs for agencies and riders alike. Modern fleet management systems with predictive maintenance can drastically reduce unexpected breakdowns and maintenance costs. St. Louis Metro Transit, for instance, saved about $2.4 million annually by shifting to a predictive maintenance program that cuts down on reactive repairs and extends vehicle life​.  

Similarly, incremental automation in controlled settings can improve efficiency without displacing workers. Several agencies are piloting automated parking and yard movements for buses to streamline depot operations. In Pinellas County, Fla., an autonomous bus yard program is testing automated parking to free up driver time for service routes​. Such low-risk automation, alongside advanced driver assistance systems, can enhance safety and efficiency while creating new skilled roles and training opportunities, dovetailing with workforce development efforts.  

The transit industry needs practical, bipartisan solutions that can move America’s transportation infrastructure forward while driving economic growth and unite Congress around common goals. With ridership rebounding unevenly from the pandemic and many systems facing fiscal pressures, the timing is perfect for reforms that maximize the impact of every federal transit dollar. A reauthorization bill that embraces these policies would help transit agencies large and small to provide more frequent, reliable service—connecting more Americans to jobs and opportunity while supporting U.S. manufacturing.