Moving Transit Forward Act of 2025

Bill Number

S. 3455

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Last Updated

2026-03-19T11:03:28Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Moving Transit Forward Act of 2025 aims to provide federal funding to improve public transportation services in urban areas by supporting operating costs, planning, security enhancements, and safety measures. It seeks to enhance the quality, frequency, and availability of transit services while addressing safety and security risks.

Key Provisions

• Grant Authority: The Secretary of Transportation (through the Federal Transit Administration) can award grants for:
• Operating costs of equipment and facilities to boost service quality, frequency, or geographic reach.
• Planning activities to adjust services for better quality, frequency, or availability.
• Capital projects or operating costs to improve security of existing or planned transit systems, including hiring law enforcement or security personnel.
• Capital projects to address safety risks identified by a recipient's safety committee (as required under existing federal safety rules in section 5329).
• Funding Allocation (Apportionments): Funds are distributed to urbanized areas based on their share of total national operating expenses (from the latest reported data). These amounts are added to existing formula grants under section 5336 and can be used for eligible activities under this new program, following section 5307 rules with modifications.
• Grant Requirements and Certifications:
• Recipients must certify that operating funds will increase or maintain vehicle service levels and that local (non-federal) spending on operations will not decrease from recent levels.
• For security grants, local spending on security must remain at least at current levels.
• Operating and planning funds do not need to be included in broader transportation plans or programs (under sections 5303 or 5304).
• Funds cannot be used to shift fixed-route services to third-party on-demand providers.
• Up to 10% of an area's existing section 5336 funds can be redirected to this program.
• Cost Sharing: The federal government covers 80% of net project costs for operating expenses; local recipients can contribute more than the required 20% match if desired.
• Legislative Changes: Inserts a new section 5308 into Chapter 53 of Title 49, United States Code, and updates the chapter's table of contents.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new dedicated grant program (section 5308) focused on operating costs and service improvements, which is unusual because federal transit funding typically prioritizes capital projects (e.g., buying buses or building stations) over day-to-day operations.
• Expands eligible uses of federal funds to include security personnel costs and safety mitigations tied to internal safety committees, building on but separate from existing programs like section 5307 (urbanized area formula grants) and section 5336 (fixed guideway modernization).
• Allows flexibility by not requiring inclusion in metropolitan or statewide transportation plans and permits redirecting up to 10% of other federal transit funds, reducing administrative hurdles for recipients.
• Maintains maintenance-of-effort requirements (no reduction in local spending) but applies them specifically to service and security, ensuring funds supplement rather than replace local efforts.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases administrative responsibilities for the Department of Transportation to manage apportionments and certifications; could strain federal budgets if funding levels grow, but streamlines planning by exempting certain uses from broader transport planning processes.
• On Citizens: Improves access to reliable, frequent, and safer public transit in cities, potentially reducing commute times, increasing mobility for low-income or transit-dependent residents, and enhancing personal security on systems.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as this is a domestic transportation funding bill with no foreign policy elements.
• Overall, it could lead to expanded transit service without fully burdening local budgets, promoting urban sustainability and reducing traffic congestion.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Transit Agencies and Operators: Primary beneficiaries in urbanized areas (populations over 50,000), who can use funds for operations, planning, and security to serve more riders efficiently.
• Local and State Governments: Must provide matching funds and maintain spending levels; gain flexibility in using federal dollars for immediate service needs.
• Federal Government (Department of Transportation): Oversees grant distribution and compliance, with added workload for verifying certifications.
• Transit Users (Citizens and Commuters): Indirectly benefit from better service quality, safety, and security, especially in densely populated areas.
• Security and Law Enforcement Personnel: Potential for increased hiring or funding to protect transit systems.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Reinforces federal oversight of transit safety and security under existing frameworks (e.g., section 5329 safety plans), but introduces prohibitions on certain service transitions to prevent undermining traditional fixed-route systems. Certifications ensure accountability and prevent federal funds from displacing local investments, aligning with anti-supplantation rules in federal grant law.
• Constitutional: No major issues; supports the federal spending power under the Commerce Clause by funding interstate economic activities like urban mobility, without infringing on state or local authority.
• Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (from senators across parties) signals broad support for transit investment amid urban growth and post-pandemic recovery needs. Could spark debates on federal vs. local funding priorities, especially for operations (often a state/local responsibility), and may influence future transportation reauthorization bills by setting a precedent for operational support.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Cosponsors (12)

Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD], Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
• 2025-12-11: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Moving Transit Forward Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (6 pages)