What the Proposed Federal Budget Means for Transit, Rail

The proposed FY 2025 budget keeps spending for public transit and passenger rail essentially the same as in 2024.

1 minute read

March 16, 2025, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Cyclists and a red T train on the Longfellow Bridge in Boston, MA at sunset.

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The House Appropriations Committee’s proposed budget for FY 2025 increases public transit investment by under 1 percent from last year, while passenger rail funding is decreased by 1 percent. According to an explainer from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), “The bill eliminates all funding that was designated for earmarks in the FY 2024 THUD Appropriations Act.”

The bill includes $3.8 billion for Capital Investment Grants; for context, “communities are requesting more than $38.6 billion of CIG funds in FY 2025 and subsequent years to construct 58 projects in 25 states.”

The bill also “prohibits DOT from impeding or hindering a project from advancing or approving a project seeking a CIG Federal share of more than 40 percent” and lets projects under the Expedited Project Delivery for CIG Pilot Program be eligible for funding without further evaluation.

Monday, March 10, 2025 in American Public Transportation Association

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