Become a Grassroots Co-Signer and Demand Congress Allocate the Full $8.3 Billion Needed for Public Transit in the Next Appropriations Bill Now!

Last year, we secured the largest investments in public transportation in history. The headlines were great and the money is critical, but there were some devils in the details that most people don’t know about.

Not all of the funding approved was actually allocated. Congress specifically left billions of dollars unallocated each year to provide long-term flexibility in spending it.

In concept, that’s a great idea. It means Congress can be more nimble with the money, especially in the years to come when there may be new projects worth funding that weren’t even conceived of yet when the original bill was passed.

The problem is it also means $8.3 billion already approved for this year could be left on the table and never spent on critical transit infrastructure if Congress doesn’t include specific allocations in the 2023 appropriations bill. That’s where we come in. The House and Senate appropriations committees need pressure from us to make sure they follow through and deliver results.

Congress must allocate the full $8.3 billion in funding for these programs in the next appropriation bill:


  • $4.6 billion for the FTA’s Capital Investment Grants Program. The Capital Investment Grant program funds capital improvements to both large and small transit systems and is critical in providing local cities and municipalities the ability to prioritize climate and equity in spending it.

  • $3.5 billion for the RAISE and MEGA Competitive Grant Programs. The Rebuilding America's Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program funds a diverse array of capital improvements in surface transportation projects and has been an important source of funds for safe access to transit by bike and foot traffic. The new National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program will provide grants on a competitive basis to support projects of national and regional significance, specifically designed to provide new multimodal transportation options in areas currently lacking them.

  • $200 million for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program. The program was created to fund the construction of active transportation (biking and walking) infrastructure through and between communities. Like the MEGA program above, these investments are essential to retrofitting dangerous roadways to provide safe access to transit service.

We’ve organized dozens of groups, including climate, transit, and social justice organizations, to sign-on. Now we need you to co-sign too! We’ll deliver the letter with all the signers in person to the committee in a couple of weeks. Add your name now!

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