FTA makes nearly $5 billion in formula funding available
Nearly $5 billion in Fiscal Year 2022 transit formula funding has been made available by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The funding supports public transportation and industry jobs and is available to transit agencies, states and Tribal governments.
“People rely on buses, trains and ferries to get where they need to be every day,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “President [Joe] Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the largest investment in public transit in history, which means that more Americans will have access to great transportation, our communities will have less traffic congestion, and the air will be cleaner for our children.”
“From counties with just one van providing rides, to systems operating hundreds of trains, buses and ferries in the largest cities in America, our communities depend on this funding, which is increasing significantly thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “This first down payment will help agencies start new projects, fix old infrastructure and bring more fast, safe, convenient service.”
The funds were made available under the Further Extending Government Funding Act, which provides partial-year spending authority through Feb. 18, 2022. The amounts also include funding identified as advance appropriations in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 for the State of Good Repair and the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities formula programs.
FTA distributes formula funds to state departments of transportation, Tribal nations and urbanized areas. Formula-based grant programs include funding for transit systems in both urbanized and rural areas, grants for buses and bus facilities – including low- and no-emission buses – transit designed for seniors and people with disabilities, planning funds and support to improve the condition of transit assets.
Full-year formula funding will be available once Congress passes a FY 2022 appropriations bill. Once enacted, transit funding will be available at the levels proscribed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support transit in 500 urban communities across the country and rural transit systems nationwide. That’s approximately 35 percent more funding than previous years, allowing hundreds of transit agencies to buy new buses and railcars, improving reliability and transit service.
The apportionment tables released specify the funding available to the nation’s states, urbanized areas, and Tribal governments through FTA formula programs for the first 4.5 months of FY 2022.
The tables allow transit agencies and grant recipients to view the amounts for programs set by statutorily defined formulas so they can better plan and manage over the long term for new projects and address their repair backlogs.
