Senate Committee Hearing Signals Possible Shift in Federal Transit Funding

Transit advocates were pleasantly surprised to hear senators address specific questions about the 80/20 split in transportation funding, transit operations, and rural transit needs.

2 minute read

May 3, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


SouthWest Transit

Michael Hicks / Flickr

Unlike most years, when public transit gets so overlooked in the federal surface transportation reauthorization bill that many have taken to calling the package "the highway bill," the "[s]enators in the committee charged with writing the public transit portion of this law—up for reauthorization this September—surprised us at a recent hearing with questions that got to the heart of the policies keeping U.S. public transit behind." Transportation for America's director Beth Osborne testified before the committee as senators asked questions aimed at understanding "the 80/20 split between highway and transit funding, the value of funding transit operations, and rural transit needs," writes Jenna Fortunati in the Transportation for America blog.

The federal Highway Trust Fund has, since 1982, allotted 80 percent of its funding to highways and 20 percent to public transportation. "The logic behind this was that since the Trust Fund’s funding came from the gas tax drivers pay at the pump, most of the funding should be spent on highways." In a bright spot for transit advocates, "[t]he three COVID-19 relief packages broke this tradition by providing operating support to transit agencies." When questioned about funding transit equally, Osborne told the senators "this is what we need to do to give people multiple modes of travel." 

According to Transportation for America, funding transit operations in addition to maintenance and capital "will bring a return of more riders" by providing more frequent and reliable service. Osborne also emphasized the importance of funding rural transit, where many residents don't own cars. "[W]e forget that there are concentrations of people who live in distinct towns, and that services they need—like hospitals and schools—are moving farther away, consolidating into centers that serve entire regions. We need transit that can connect people to those regional hubs."

Thursday, April 22, 2021 in Transportation for America

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

A mountain range at sunset appears in the background of this photo, with cacti in the foreground.

Biden Designates a New National Monument in West Texas

The Castner Range National Monument in West Texas is the second of two new national monuments announced by President Joe Biden this week.

55 minutes ago - The White House

View of street in Chinatown, San Francisco with cars parked along curb and red Chinese lanterns hanging above street

Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem

In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

A group of wetsuit-clad swimmers gathers to talk in shallow water near the shore of the San Francisco Bay.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

March 24 - The Mercury News

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.