In a major distribution of federal transit funds, the US Department of Transportation has allocated $20.5 billion to states and metropolitan areas for a variety of programs, including new and improved rail lines, stations and other facilities.
The distributions, which DOT’s Federal Transit Administration announced on April 4, are fiscal year 2024 Jobs and Infrastructure Investments Act dollars. They are vitally important to transit agencies across the country, accounting for about 65% of all funds provided to them by the FTA each year.
“Communities depend on this funding to start new transit projects, modernize aging infrastructure and ensure fast, safe and convenient public transportation is available to everyone,” FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said during a informative session
This year’s changes in the components that make up the formulas, including regional population and users of transit systems, affected some transit agencies’ aid allocations.
In some cases, the latest formulas take into account the US Census Bureau’s 2022 population figures and urbanized area boundaries.
The FTA says population changes meant some regions exceeded or fell below the 50,000-person threshold for classification as an urban area. Areas categorized as urban are eligible for one type of TLC transit formula funds.
Another factor is that some transit agencies reported their 2022 ridership figures, which reflect post-pandemic changes in regional travel patterns, FTA said.
The changes benefited some localities. Vanterpool said some areas will see larger funding allocations due to large population increases in the 2020 census.
He cited several whose formula funding increased 15 percent or more from 2023 formula levels. They include Reno, Nev.; Provo and Orem, Utah; Oklahoma City; Stockton and San Jose, California; Trenton, New Jersey; Charleston, SC; Spokane, Washington; and Indianapolis.
In terms of total formula funding, regions with major transit systems, not surprisingly, received the largest overall allocations, led by far by the New York-Jersey City-Newark, NJ area, with 2,800 millions of dollars.
The Chicago-Indiana area ranked second, with $765.1 million; followed by the Washington, DC-Arlington, Virginia-Maryland area with $665 million; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif., at $603.4 million; and Boston-New Hampshire, with $454.9 million.
FTA acknowledged that some regions saw their formula funding decrease from 2023 levels, but did not specify which ones.
