APTA Continues to Urge Congress to Increase Investment in Public Transit and Passenger Rail 

6/16/2026

APTA calls the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) a good first step and continues to urge Congress to increase the bill’s public transit and passenger rail investment levels (including guaranteed funding) prior to consideration by the House of Representatives. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I Committee) considered and approved the Act on May 21 and 22.

Public Transit and Passenger Rail Investments

The BUILD America 250 Act authorizes $103.3 billion (including $87.6 billion of guaranteed funding) for public transit over five years (FY 2027-2031). The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorization baseline is $119.9 billion (including $101.6 billion of guaranteed funding) for public transit. The BUILD America 250 Act cuts public transit investment by $16.5 billion (including $14.0 billion of guaranteed funding) (-14%) over five years compared to the IIJA authorization baseline. View APTA’s H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, Funding Table (Public Transit).

For passenger rail, the BUILD America 250 Act authorizes $64.3 billion (with no guaranteed funding) over five years. The IIJA authorization baseline is $112.9 billion (including $71.0 billion of guaranteed funding) for passenger rail. The BUILD America 250 Act cuts passenger rail investment by $48.7 billion (-43%) and provides no guaranteed funding over five years compared to the IIJA authorization baseline. View APTA’s H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act Funding Table (Passenger Rail).

Prior to the House T&I Committee markup, APTA sent a letter to Committee leaders commending the bipartisan bill as a good first step. The letter also urges the T&I Committee and the Committee on Appropriations to ensure that the BUILD America 250 Act, when considered by the House of Representatives, builds upon current investment levels (including guaranteed funding) for public transit and passenger rail to drive job creation, innovation, and our economy. Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in long-term economic returns.

APTA continues to aggressively advocate for the investment levels outlined in APTA’s 2026 Surface Transportation Authorization Recommendations, urging Congress to invest $138 billion for public transit and $130 billion for passenger rail over five years. These investments will help address the more than $150 billion state-of-good-repair backlog, meet the growing mobility demands in communities, and drive innovation and new technologies to enhance safety, security, and the rider experience. 

Public Transit and Passenger Rail Policy Provisions

The BUILD America 250 Act includes many APTA Policy Recommendations to accelerate project delivery by eliminating statutory and regulatory barriers to advancing public transit and passenger rail projects. These policy initiatives include:

  • Reforming Capital Investment Grants
  • Authorizing advance acquisition of real property for public transit and passenger rail projects
  • Allowing large public transit agencies to assume responsibility for certain NEPA actions (e.g., approving categorical exclusions)
  • Authorizing public transit agencies to determine the number of spare vehicles necessary for their fleets without the limitation of FTA’s one-size-fits-all spare ratio policy
  • Expanding the authorities for innovative procurement to include goods, technologies, and software services

APTA’s letter outlined several key policy areas of significant concern with the BUILD America 250 Act, including:

  • Establishing a Consolidated State Block Grant Program
  • Limiting the federal contribution for bus procurements
  • Imposing new mandates on states and local public transit agencies, such as mandating fully enclosed bus workstations

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