At the end of July, the Biden Administration and the group of bipartisan senators announced agreement on the details of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which had received assent from Republican leadership in the Senate. The bill was introduced this past Sunday evening and amendments are currently being offered and voted on by the full Senate this week. Once that process runs its course in the next few days, the Senate will vote on the measure, which is expected to pass. The bill includes the Senate's version of a 5-year surface transportation reauthorization language and funding levels.

Included in the bill is $39.2 billion in public transit funding, increasing investment through all current formula and discretionary programs (see chart at top right by The Eno Foundation's Jeff Davis). The bill's summary overview (which can be viewed here) lists addressing the "nation’s transit system repair backlog...[and] expands transit systems, supports clean transit options, and increases accessibility for seniors and persons with disabilities."

SWTA supports the bipartisan agreement, especially language allowing for sale of vehicles past useful life with sale proceeds returned to the local agency equal to the amount of the local share at the vehicle's purchase. APTA has voiced its support for the bill overall, while noting additional investment would benefit the industry. CTAA provided analysis of the legistaiton and its impacts for small urban, rural, tribal & specialized transit providers.

Even if the Senate passes the bill, immediate adoption by the House is uncertain, with House Speaker Pelosi still requiring a reconciliation bill to support other priorities to be passed first. Additionally, House T&I Committee Chair Peter DeFazio remains frustrated by the bipartisan bill's funding levels and lack of technical precision on transportation policy he believes was achieved by the INVEST Act, which the House passed earlier in the summer.

(THUD) was passed by the House of Representatives on July 29th, delivering "$15.5 billion for public transit – a $2.5 billion or 20 percent increase from current levels," according to APTA.

Meanwhile, FTA announced the award of a cooperative agreement totaling $5 million to the International Transportation Learning Center (ITLC) to support the first Transit Workforce Center (TWC). Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, ITLC will serve as FTA’s first-ever national technical assistance center to help transit agencies recruit, hire, train, and retain a diverse workforce needed now and in the future.

Also, FTA is holding listening sessions open to all in the transit industry on helping transit agencies across America renew ridership following COVID. Upcoming sessions are 2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern) on Friday, August 6 and Friday, August 13th, with a wrap-up Summit in the early fall. Full details on these Transit Is Open sessions are available here.