RI Delegation Announces $60.1 Million for Public Transportation Through Historic Infrastructure Act

PROVIDENCE, RI — Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo announced that Rhode Island has been awarded $60,105,548 in federal public transportation funding to improve public transportation throughout the Ocean State in 2024.

The $60.1 million in federal transit funding for FY 2024 was released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and includes funding from the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58), the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (PL 118-47), and the Highway Trust Fund transit account. This is a $4.2 million increase for the Rhode Island Public Transit Agency’s (RIPTA) bus service network, as well as the state’s trains and ferries.

The $4.2 million increase for RIPTA was made possible by including a total of $16.6 billion for FTA in the 2024 Appropriations Act, an increase of $1.9 billion over the initial appropriations bill from the House of Representatives.

Federal funding will be available to help the state and communities modernize, maintain and operate public transportation systems, upgrade stations, tracks and maintenance facilities, plan and design new transportation corridors in common and to provide access to elderly people and disabled users.

“Rhode Island’s public transit system helps drive economic growth, connects communities and gets people where they need to go. This latest round of federal funding will help RIPTA improve service and invest in new vehicles, technology, infrastructure and capital purchases. I will continue to work with state and local leaders to modernize our infrastructure and provide federal funds to ensure RIPTA provides safe, convenient, reliable and accessible public transportation for all,” said Senator Reedsenior member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee.

“Public transportation has the power to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life for residents across the state. Our bipartisan infrastructure law continues to drive much-needed investments to make public transportation more accessible and reliable for Rhode Islanders,” S said.Senator Whitehouseranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“A safe and efficient public transportation system is essential to getting Rhode Islanders to work, school and home to spend valuable time with their families,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner. “I am pleased that RIPTA will receive this federal funding and will continue to work to provide the necessary resources so that every Rhode Islander has access to efficient and reliable transportation.”

“As a public transportation advocate in Congress, I am proud to work alongside my colleagues in the Rhode Island delegation to direct federal funds to our state’s transit agency,” said MP Gabe Amo. “Today’s funding announcement, made possible by the historic bipartisan infrastructure law passed under President Biden, will help maintain and grow Rhode Island’s public transportation – a critical way to connect communities and to improve the lives of hardworking Rhode Islanders across our state.

Rhode Island’s allocation is part of a $20.5 billion tranche from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support critical transit infrastructure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Under the law, each state has flexibility to determine how these funds can best address long-standing needs.

While Rhode Island is expected to receive a total of $60.1 million in fiscal year 2024, the delegation noted that the state has already received federal funding to cover the first five months of the fiscal year (October to March) while Congress was operating under a short term. -term Continuous Resolution (CR).