Transit Reauthorization in the 109th Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
June 27, 2005 |
| Report Number |
RS22176 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
David Randall Peterman, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Consideration of the future direction, scope, and funding level of federal transitprograms is part of the debate over surface transportation reauthorization. Congress isnow conferencing a surface transportation reauthorization bill (H.R. 3). The Houseversion of H.R. 3 would authorize $52.4 billion for transit over FY2004-FY2009; theSenate version would authorize the equivalent of $53.8 billion. Both the House andSenate bills would generally retain the current structure of the federal transit program.Both bills, however, propose some additions and modifications to the current transitprogram funding structure. Both would eliminate the combined Trust Fund-GeneralFund funding of individual federal transit programs, which due to accounting rulesthreatens to deplete the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund. They wouldboth create a new funding category within the New Starts program, which wouldprovide streamlined review requirements for transit projects seeking less than $75million in federal funding. And both bills would create a new funding category withinthe Urbanized Area Formula Program for small cities that provide higher than averagelevels of transit service. Differences between the bills include the House's proposal tocreate a New Freedom Initiatives Program to provide access to jobs for persons withdisabilities, in contrast to the Senate's New Freedom Initiatives emphasis on access tohealth care services; and the House's proposal to convert the existing Job Access andReverse Commute Program to a formula basis.
