H.R. 3449: Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act
Sponsor
Henry Johnson
Democrat · GA-4
Bill Progress
Latest Action · May 16, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. for review
Your bus service gets an $80 billion lifeline
Why it matters
$20 billion a year is the headline number—and this bill would let transit agencies use it on the day-to-day service you actually feel: shorter waits, longer hours, better reliability, and routes that reach jobs, health care, and child care. Most of the money would have to benefit underserved communities or high-poverty areas.
H.R. 3449 would create a new federal operating support program for public transit, with $20 billion a year authorized for fiscal years 2025 through 2028. That is up to $80 billion over four years for the basics riders notice first—how often a bus comes, whether service runs later, and whether transit can reach work, school, health care, and other essential stops.
The money is not a blank check. Transit agencies, states, and Tribal recipients would get funding based in part on their recent operating costs, and no recipient could receive more than 80% of its average operating costs from the program in a given year. The usual federal share is up to 50%, but it can rise to 80% in underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty and to 100% for Indian Tribes.
The bill also tries to steer service where the need is greatest. A preponderance of each grant would have to benefit underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty, which the bill defines using poverty thresholds of at least 20% in qualifying counties or census tracts. Agencies would have to survey both riders and non-riders in those communities at least every two years and post the results online.
The funding can be used for operating improvements people can see: shorter headways, expanded service hours or coverage, reliability upgrades, real-time transit information, better connections between modes, planning for network redesigns, and workforce development needed to maintain service. If an agency does not maintain its own service effort, it could lose one-third of the next year's grant.
H.R. 3449 Bill Summary
What H.R. 3449 actually does.
$20 billion a year for everyday transit service
H.R. 3449 authorizes $20 billion annually from fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for a new transit operating support program. That means agencies could use federal money on service itself, not just long-term construction.
More frequent buses, longer hours, better reliability
Eligible uses include reducing wait times, adding new or expanded service areas, hours, or days, improving reliability and travel times, adding real-time information tools, and redesigning service to better reach essential destinations.
Most funding must reach underserved communities
A preponderance of each grant must go to projects benefiting underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty. The bill defines those high-poverty areas using poverty rates of at least 20% in qualifying counties or census tracts.
Higher federal match where local budgets are weakest
The standard federal share is up to 50% of project costs, but it can rise to 80% in underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty. Indian Tribes could receive a 100% federal share.
Transit agencies must prove they listened
Recipients would have to survey riders and non-riders in target communities at least every two years, publish those surveys online, and report service and access data to the Federal Transit Administration.
Service cuts can trigger a funding penalty
An agency that fails to maintain its transit service effort could see the following year's grant reduced by one-third, giving the program a built-in enforcement mechanism.
Who benefits from H.R. 3449?
People who rely on buses and trains to get to work, school, and appointments
If your local system has cut frequency, ends service too early, or does not connect you to essential destinations, this bill is built around those operating gaps rather than new construction alone.
Residents of underserved and high-poverty communities
The bill requires a preponderance of funding to benefit underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty, using a 20% poverty threshold for qualifying counties or census tracts.
Transit agencies trying to avoid service cuts
Urbanized-area systems, state-managed rural providers, and Tribal transit operators could tap a new funding stream tied to operating costs, with annual support capped at 80% of a recipient's recent average operating costs.
Indian Tribes running transit service
Tribal recipients could receive grants covering 100% of eligible project or program costs, removing the local match requirement that often blocks smaller systems.
Rural communities with limited transit options
The bill separately raises the federal share for rural operating assistance to as much as 80% of net operating costs, which could make it easier for smaller systems to keep service on the road.
Who is affected by H.R. 3449?
Local transit operators
Transit agencies could get major new operating support, but they would also have to track service data, survey riders and non-riders, target most funding to high-need communities, and avoid backsliding on service effort.
State transportation agencies
States would help administer funding for rural subrecipients and file annual reports identifying underserved areas with no transit service or very low transit availability.
The Department of Transportation
The department would have to stand up a large new grant program, write regulations within one year, and oversee data reporting, compliance, and future reapportionment of unused funds.
Taxpayers and appropriators
Congress would be authorizing up to $80 billion over four years for transit operations, a major shift toward paying for service levels instead of limiting federal transit support mainly to capital spending.
Cost & Funding
Authorization
$20,000,000,000 a year for fiscal years 2025 through 2028—up to $80,000,000,000 total
- Back-of-the-napkin math: $20 billion a year over four years adds up to as much as $80 billion in authorized funding.
- Initial funding is tied to 50% of a recipient's average annual operating costs over the prior three years.
- No recipient could receive more than 80% of its average operating costs from this program in a given year.
- The federal share is generally up to 50%, rising to 80% in underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty and 100% for Indian Tribes.
- Up to 25% of the required nonfederal share may come from in-kind capital improvements connected to the project.
- Recipients generally have two years after apportionment to obligate the money before unused funds are redistributed.
HR3449 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
May 16, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
House: Committee Action
May 15, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
About the Sponsor
Henry Johnson
Democrat, Georgia's 4th congressional district · 19 years in Congress
Committees: Transportation and Infrastructure, the Judiciary
View full profile →
Cosponsors (147)
This bill has 147 cosponsors: 146 Democrats, 1 Republican. Cosponsors represent 37 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 34 more.
Steve Cohen
Democrat · TN
Jennifer McClellan
Democrat · VA
Rashida Tlaib
Democrat · MI
Maxwell Frost
Democrat · FL
Emanuel Cleaver
Democrat · MO
Madeleine Dean
Democrat · PA
Brendan Boyle
Democrat · PA
Lloyd Doggett
Democrat · TX
Frederica Wilson
Democrat · FL
Delia Ramirez
Democrat · IL
Timothy Kennedy
Democrat · NY
LaMonica McIver
Democrat · NJ
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
22 of 66 committee members cosponsored
9 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 3449 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Transportation and Public Works
- Introduced
- May 15, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. for review
May 16, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with status, text, sponsors, and actions for the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act.
The bill would insert a new section 5308 after section 5307, so this FTA page gives official context for the existing urbanized-area transit funding framework.
The bill bases funding allocations and reporting requirements on data reported to the National Transit Database.
The bill funds service reliability, customer information, and safety-related operating improvements, making FTA operational guidance relevant.
The bill uses poverty thresholds to define areas of persistent poverty, and Census is the authoritative federal source for poverty data concepts and datasets.
The bill requires analysis of access to jobs and essential services, and BTS provides official transportation data resources that can support that work.
H.R. 3449 Common Questions
What does H.R. 3449 actually do?
It creates a new federal program to help pay for transit operating costs—things like more frequent buses, longer service hours, better reliability, and route expansions.
How much money is in H.R. 3449?
The bill authorizes $20 billion a year from fiscal years 2025 through 2028. That is up to $80 billion over four years for transit operating support.
Could this money be used to run buses more often?
Yes. The bill allows funding for shorter wait times, expanded service hours or areas, reliability improvements, real-time information, and related service planning.
Who gets priority under H.R. 3449?
Most grant money would have to benefit underserved communities or areas of persistent poverty. The bill uses a 20% poverty threshold for qualifying counties or census tracts.
How much of a transit agency's costs could the federal government cover?
Usually up to 50%. That can rise to 80% for projects in underserved or high-poverty areas, and to 100% for Indian Tribes.
What happens if a transit agency cuts service after getting the money?
If it fails to maintain its transit service effort, the agency could lose one-third of its next year's grant under H.R. 3449.
Does H.R. 3449 help rural transit too?
Yes. The bill also raises the federal share for rural operating assistance to as much as 80% of net operating costs, which could help smaller systems keep service running.
Would transit agencies have to ask riders what they need?
Yes. Agencies would have to survey both riders and non-riders in underserved or high-poverty communities at least every two years and post the results online.
Based on H.R. 3449 bill text
H.R. 3449 Bill Text
“To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a program to provide grants to eligible recipients for eligible operating support costs of public transportation, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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