APTA

An ACS64-led Amtrak Northeast Regional train prepares to depart Penn Station New York, bound for Washington, D.C. William C. Vantuono photo

Biden FY23 Budget Request: $105B for USDOT

President Joe Biden on March 28 submitted to Congress a $5.79 trillion budget plan for fiscal year 2023 that calls for $105 billion to be distributed to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). With an additional $37 billion in guaranteed advance appropriations provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL; also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA), the USDOT’s total budget would be $142 billion. Included in the budget for USDOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is funding for four new rail-related projects; the Gateway Program’s Hudson Tunnel project in New York and New Jersey, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) Silicon Valley Phase II rail project in California are among them.

In January 2021, the Federal Transit Administration signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement for Valley Metro’s South Central Light Rail Extension/Downtown Hub Project in Phoenix; the funding is part of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program.

APTA to Congress: ‘Fully Fund IIJA’

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) on Feb. 11 submitted a letter to Congress urging members to “fully fund the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).”

Transit Briefs: Metro-North, Santa Clara VTA, APTA/WSP USA

MTA Metro-North Railroad has expanded its rider seat availability tracker to Google Maps. In addition, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has scheduled pilot testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle routes in 2022 and 2023; and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has selected WSP USA’s Jannet Walker-Ford to serve on its Executive Committee.

APTA Publishes 2021 Fact Book

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its annual Public Transportation Fact Book, which covers transit finances and operating statistics by modes of travel; transit vehicle characteristics and deliveries; federal grants and the Federal Transit Act; and statistical trends for Canadian transit operations.

A Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Board Committee has approved depositing a portion of pandemic relief act funds with small, disadvantaged and minority-owned financial institutions in partner jurisdictions.

Transit Briefs: APTA, MARTA

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and a coalition of industry partners have called on Congress and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to support additional public transit and high speed rail investment in the reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Act. In addition, a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Board Committee has approved depositing a portion of pandemic relief act funds with small, disadvantaged and minority-owned financial institutions.

AAR, APTA Seek COVID-19 Waiver Extensions (Updated)

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Public Transportation Association have separately petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for an extension of existing waivers of compliance from certain provisions of rail safety regulations that FRA granted last fall relating to COVID-19.

How Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Impacts Rail, Transit

The U.S. Senate has voted 67-32 to consider a nearly $1 trillion national infrastructure package, following a compromise by President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators on key provisions, including $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail.

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