The Federal Transit Administration announced Friday that it is making approximately $21 billion in funding available to transit agencies and communities in the 2023 fiscal year, following the passage of the $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill in December.
According to the FTA, overall transit funding increased from fiscal year 2022, “which will allow agencies nationwide to continue to buy new buses and railcars, address their repair backlogs, modernize their fleets, and transition to new technologies to address the climate crisis,” the agency said in an emailed announcement.
California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas are among the top state recipients, with each receiving more than $500 million.
Major programs funded by the spending package include more than $4 billion for State of Good Repair Rail Replacement competitive grants and more than $7 billion under the Urbanized Area Formula Program, which provides funding for capital investments in transit. Under this program, urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000 can also use these funds for operating assistance.
“This funding is critical for individuals and families who rely on public transit to get to work, attend appointments, visit with family, and get their children to school and it will promote a greener transportation sector by investing in low- and zero-carbon emission projects,” said Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen, D-Wash., in an emailed statement.
