The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released its surface transporation bill draft on Tuesday. APTA released the following statement in support of the bill.
"The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on behalf of the entire public transportation industry, would like to thank House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Dan Lipinski (D-IL) for their extraordinary leadership in crafting the INVEST in America Act. We strongly support the bill and its critical investments for surface transportation infrastructure, including $105 billion for public transportation and $60 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak, and other high-performance rail.
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“This forward-thinking legislation will transform our nation's infrastructure and put us on the path to build more equitable communities for all Americans, creating and connecting people to jobs, providing better mobility options for millions, and addressing the environmental and sustainability challenges facing our nation and the world. The bill also includes critical funding and flexibility to enable public transit systems to continue to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to these critical investments, the INVEST in America Act includes important policies from streamlining the Capital Investment Grant program to investing in new technologies like zero-emission buses that will create the transportation systems of the future.
“APTA applauds Chairman DeFazio for jump-starting the infrastructure discussion and looks forward to working with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and the Trump Administration to achieve our common goal of building stronger and more equitable communities across our nation. It is vital that we jumpstart our economy immediately. The time is now to make an important investment in our national infrastructure that will provide staying power to drive our economy for years to come."
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
