Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

January 4, 2022 – March 15, 2024 R47002

Federal Public Transportation Program:
In Brief
Updated March 15, 2024
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R47002

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Congressional Research Service

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Introduction
Federal funding assistance to public transportation agencies 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 provided funding with
a multiyear advance appropriation from the general fund of the U.S. Treasury. Consequently, the
IIJA provided a large nominal 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.2 Paratransit is non-fixed
route service—often for the elderly and persons with disabilities—using automobiles, vans, and
small buses in response to calls from passengers. 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

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 According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), “heavy rail is a mode of transit service ...
operating on an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic”; “commuter rail ... is characterized by
an electric or diesel propelled railway for urban passenger train service consisting of local short distance travel
operating between a central city and adjacent suburbs”; and “light rail is a mode of transit service (also called streetcar,
tramway, or trolley) operating passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails
in right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way.” APTA, Public Transportation
Fact Book, Glossary, at https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/public-transportation-fact-
book/fact-book-glossary/.
Congressional Research Service

1

link to page 5 link to page 6

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

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%.3
Providing public transportation has been a challenge since the end of the Second World War due
to a number of interrelated factors that have affected demand—particularly rising incomes,
growing automobile availability and use, and residential and employment decentralization.
Nevertheless, ridership increased from 7.8 billion trips in 1995 to 10.8 billion trips in 2014.
Ridership then dropped in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to about 10.0 billion trips in
each of 2018 and 2019. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, national ridership dropped
dramatically in 2020, reaching about half the prepandemic level in 2021. Ridership recovered
somewhat in 2022 and 2023, standing at about 7.1 billion trips in 2023 (Figure 1).4
Figure 1. Public Transportation Ridership, 1993-2023

Sources: American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Public Transportation Fact Book 2022: Appendix A,
Washington, DC, 2021, Table 1; APTA, Public Transportation Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2021-2023, p. 1.
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 $554 million provided through the Public Transportation
Emergency Relief Program.5

3 APTA, 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/.
4 Ibid., Table 1; APTA, Public Transportation Ridership Report, Fourth Quarter 2021-2023. For further discussion, see
CRS Report R47302, Public Transportation Ridership: Implications of Recent Trends for Federal Policy, by William J.
Mallett.
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 R47661, Emergency Relief
for Disaster-Damaged Public Transportation Systems: In Brief, by William J. Mallett.
Congressional Research Service

2

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Figure 2. Federal Public Transportation Program Funding, FY2016-FY2026
(in current dol ars)

Sources: CRS analysis of Senate appropriations reports; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58);
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328);
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42).
Note: FAST Act = Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (P.L. 114-94).
Historically, about 80% of federal public transportation program funding came from the mass
transit account of the Highway Trust Fund and 20% came 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 in
the past received federal money only from the Highway Trust Fund, thereby raising the general
fund share overall to about 28% in FY2018, 26% in FY2019, 21% in FY2020, and 22% in
FY2021. The general fund share of funding in the IIJA for the period FY2022-FY2026 averaged
35%. After enactment of annual appropriations bills, the actual share was 35% in FY2022, 36% in
FY2023, and 33% in FY2024.6
Both Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program and COVID-19 relief funding were
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 included 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 COVID-19 relief funding was distributed
to state and local transit agencies via the existing urbanized area and rural formulas.7
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 FY2023, about $1.1 billion was transferred (or “flexed”) from highway
programs to public transportation.8 The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability
and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants program (previously known as BUILD and TIGER),

6 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328);
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42).
7 Federal Transit Administration, “Apportionments,” at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/apportionments.
8 Congressional Budget Office, “Highway Trust Fund Accounts—CBO’s Baseline Projections, February 2024.”
Congressional Research Service

3

link to page 7 link to page 15 Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

administered by the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Secretary, has been another
source of federal funding for public transportation. In the period from FY2009 through FY2021,
about $2.3 billion (in constant 2021 dollars) was awarded from this source to public
transportation projects, an average of about $180 million per year.9 In 2019, the federal
interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility identified 130 federal
nontransportation programs targeted to people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of
low income in which transportation is an eligible expense.10 The total amount of this
nontransportation funding used for public transportation, however, is unknown.
How Federal Dollars Are 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 (WMATA). Formula funding is distributed to
local public authorities in large urbanized areas (i.e., places with a population of 200,000 or
more), and to state governments for redistribution to small urbanized areas (i.e., places with a
population of 50,000 to 199,999) and to rural areas (i.e., areas with populations below 50,000).11
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

9 Estimated by CRS. See also CRS Report R45916, The TIGER/BUILD Program at 10 Years: An Overview, by David
Randall Peterman.
10 Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, “Program Inventory,” at https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-
guidance/ccam/about/ccam-program-inventory.
11 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.
Congressional Research Service

4

link to page 8 Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Urbanized Area
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
FY2025
FY2026
Total
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 were estimated based on data from the 2010 U.S. Census and 2019 National Transit Database.
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.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on transit agency budgets, including
operating revenues and sources of government support.12 Table 2 provides a national summary of
public transportation funding in the year prior to the pandemic and does not convey the role of
federal investment 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 a third 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: Sources of local government expenditures include funds from local taxes, toll transfers, and bond
proceeds.
Federal Public Transportation Programs
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) Low or No

12 Congressional Budget Office, Federal Financial Support for Public Transportation, March 2022, at
https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2022-03/57636-Transportation.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

5

link to page 13 link to page 9

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Emission Vehicle; (5) Bus and Bus Facilities; (6) Rural Area Formula; 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.13 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
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 in the IIJA, FY2022-FY2026

Source: CRS analysis of the 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.
Funds 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 of 200,000 or more, the formula is also based on bus revenue
vehicle miles, passenger miles, and operating costs as well as fixed-guideway revenue miles,
route miles, passenger miles, and operating costs.

13 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.
Congressional Research Service

6

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

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.14 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.
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 (CIG) 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. Annual appropriations were $2.2 billion in FY2022, $2.6
billion in FY2023, and $2.2 billion in FY2024.15
CIG funding is available on a competitive basis in which project sponsors undertake a multistep
process to become eligible for funding. A CIG project must go through three distinct stages:
project development, engineering, and construction. For a type of CIG 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 in the IIJA 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. An additional $75 million was provided for

14 Fixed-guideway means “a public transportation facility—(A) using and occupying a separate right-of-way for the
exclusive use of public transportation; (B) using rail; (C) using a fixed catenary system; (D) for a passenger ferry
system; or (E) for a bus rapid transit system,” 49 U.S.C. §5339(a)(1).
15 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328);
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42).
Congressional Research Service

7

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

the program in FY2022 annual appropriations, and an additional $50 million was provided in
FY2023 annual appropriations.16
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. An additional $175 million in FY2022 annual appropriations and
an additional $90 million in FY2023 annual appropriations were provided for the competitive
program.17
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
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 to be administered by FTA:
• 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.

16 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328).
17 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328).
Congressional Research Service

8

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

• 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 was provided in IIJA from the general
fund, and another $200 million per year was authorized subject to future
appropriation. FY2022 annual appropriations provided $13.0 million for the
program, FY2023 annual appropriations provided $17.5 million, and FY2024
appropriations provided $20 million.
• 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 was provided, and
another $50 million per year was authorized subject to future appropriation.
Congressional Direct Spending (Earmarks)
After a decade-long moratorium on congressionally directed spending, often called “earmarks,”
Congress began providing funding specifically for Member-requested community projects in
FY2022.18 The annual appropriation for public transportation earmarks was $201 million in
FY2022, $360 million in FY2023, and $207 million in FY2024. Projects were listed in
explanatory statements accompanying the acts.

18 CRS Report R41554, Transportation Spending Under an Earmark Ban, by Robert S. Kirk, William J. Mallett, and
David Randall Peterman.
Congressional Research Service

9

Appendix. Public Transportation Funding Authorized and Appropriated by
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
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 Vehicle (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-10

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 Vehicle (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 Grants 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 Grants 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: CRS analysis of the IIJA (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-11

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

12

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

13

Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service
R47002 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED
14

Download PDF

Download EPUB

Revision History

Mar. 15, 2024

HTML · PDF

Mar. 24, 2023

HTML · PDF

Mar. 30, 2022

HTML · PDF

Jan. 4, 2022

HTML · PDF

Metadata

Topic areas

Transportation Policy

Report Type: CRS Report

Source: CRSReports.Congress.gov

Raw Metadata: JSON