U.S. Department of Transportation awards $464 million in transit grants

Key Takeaways

On August 11, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao announced $464 million in transit infrastructure grants will be awarded to 96 projects in 49 states and territories through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. The funding supports projects to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment, as well as projects to purchase, rehabilitate and construct bus-related facilities.

Authorized under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94), the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program aims to improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders. The program is set to expire under the FAST Act on September 30, 2020.

According to DOT, demand for FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program far exceeded available funds, as FTA received applications for 282 eligible projects totaling approximately $1.8 billion in funding requests from 51 states and territories. Project proposals were evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program helps counties improve local transit systems that foster safe and thriving communities. As leaders of the nation’s transportation system, counties own and operate 45 percent of all public roads (compared to the 32 percent of public roads owned by cities and townships, 19 percent by states and 3 percent by the federal government) and 38 percent of the nation’s bridge inventory. We also directly support a third of the nation’s public airports and 78 percent of public transit systems, including bus lines.

To view the 2020 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program recipients, click here.

NACo will continue to work with lawmakers and the administration to ensure counties have direct access to federal funding streams and grant programs that support local infrastructure priorities.