Legislation introduced this week seeks to improve public transportation in rural communities. Lawmakers say the Rural Transit Act, would increase the federal contribution for operating assistance in rural areas with high transit dependency.
The bill was introduced by Senators Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, and Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican. The Federal Transit Administration provides grants to support rural public transportation.
However, the lawmakers say it can be difficult for certain rural communities to provide the necessary local contribution to qualify for assistance. Senator Rounds says the legislation would “allow transit operators in extreme need to receive a higher federal share of operating assistance.”
The bill would increase the federal share to eighty percent for operating assistance in certain areas with high transit dependency. For a transit project to qualify, it must serve a county considered an “area of persistent poverty,” with 25 percent of residents over 65 years old.
