The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT. Headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the president of the United States, the FTA functions through its Washington, D.C., headquarters office and ten regional offices which assist transit agencies in all states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Until 1991, it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA).

Public transportation includes buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, monorail, passenger ferry boats, trolleys, inclined railways, and people movers. The federal government, through the FTA, provides financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems. The FTA oversees grants to state and local transit providers, primarily through its ten regional offices. These providers are responsible for managing their programs in accordance with federal requirements, and the FTA is responsible for ensuring that grantees follow federal mandates along with statutory and administrative requirements.

History In 1962, President John F. Kennedy sent a message to the U.S. Congress calling for the creation of a program of federal capital assistance for mass transportation. President Kennedy said, "To conserve and enhance values in existing urban areas is essential. But at least as important are steps to promote economic efficiency and livability in areas of future development. Our national welfare therefore requires the provision of good urban transportation, with the properly balanced use of private vehicles and modern mass transport to help shape as well as serve urban growth."

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 into law, which passed the House by a vote of 212–129 and cleared the Senate 52–41, creating the Urban Mass Transportation Administration. The agency was charged with providing federal assistance for mass transit projects, including an initial $375 million in capital assistance over three years as mandated by the act. In 1991, the agency was renamed the Federal Transit Administration.

Administrators Below is a list of past administrators.

AdministratorTerm startedTerm endedPaul L. Sitton19661969Carlos C. Villarreal19691973Frank C. Herringer19731975Robert E. Patricelli19751977Richard S. Page19771979Theodore C. Lutz19791981Arthur Teele19811983Ralph L. Stanley19831987Alfred A. DelliBovi19871989Brian H. Clymer19891993Grace Crunican (acting)19931993Gordon Linton19931999Nuria I. Fernandez (acting)19992001Hiram J. Walker (acting)January 20, 2001July 2001Jennifer L. Dorn20012005Sandra Bushue (acting)January 2006June 2006James S. SimpsonJune 2006December 2008Sherry Little (acting)December 2008January 20, 2009Matthew Welbes (acting)January 20, 2009May 2009Peter RogoffMay 2009January 16, 2014Therese McMillan (acting)January 16, 2014March 31, 2016Carolyn Flowers (acting)April 1, 2016January 20, 2017Matthew Welbes (acting)January 20, 2017August 29, 2017K. Jane Williams (acting)August 29, 2017dot.govJanuary 20, 2021Nuria I. Fernandez (acting)January 20, 2021July 1, 2021Nuria I. FernandezJuly 1, 2021February 24, 2024Veronica Vanterpool (acting)February 24, 2024January 20, 2025Matthew Welbes (acting)January 20, 2025May 1, 2025Tariq Bokhari (acting) May 1, 2025August 4, 2025Marc MolinaroAugust 4, 2025February 20, 2026Matthew Welbes (acting)February 20, 2026April 3, 2026

Notable programs

Metropolitan & Statewide PlanningMetropolitan & Statewide Planning (5303, 5304, 5305). Federal Transit Administration. Urbanized Formula FundingUrbanized Formula Funding (5307). Federal Transit Administration. Clean Fuels Grant ProgramClean Fuels Grant Program (5308) . Federal Transit Administration. Major Capital InvestmentsMajor Capital Investments (New Starts & Small Starts) (5309(b)(1)) . Federal Transit Administration. Fixed Guideway ModernizationFixed Guideway Modernization (5309 (b)(2)) . Federal Transit Administration. Transportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with DisabilitiesTransportation for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities (5310). Federal Transit Administration. Formula Grants for Other than Urbanized AreasFormula Grants for Other than Urbanized Areas (5311) . Federal Transit Administration. Public Transportation on Indian ReservationsPublic Transportation on Indian Reservations (5311(c)). Federal Transit Administration.. Federal Transit Administration. Rural Transit Assistance ProgramRural Transit Assistance Program (5311(b)(3)). Federal Transit Administration. Transit Cooperative Research ProgramTransit Cooperative Research Program (5313) . Federal Transit Administration. National Research & Technology ProgramNational Research & Technology Program (5314). Federal Transit Administration. Job Access and Reverse Commute ProgramJob Access and Reverse Commute Program (5316) . Federal Transit Administration. New Freedom ProgramNew Freedom Program (5317) . Federal Transit Administration. Bus and Bus FacilitiesBus and Bus Facilities (5309, 5318) . Federal Transit Administration. Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks ProgramPaul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program (5320) . Federal Transit Administration. Alternatives AnalysisAlternatives Analysis (5339) . Federal Transit Administration. University Transportation Centers ProgramUniversity Transportation Centers Program (TEA-21 5505) . Federal Transit Administration. Over-the-Road Bus ProgramOver-the-Road Bus Program . Federal Transit Administration. BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development), formerly TIGER (Transit Investment Generating Economic Recovery)TIGER (USDOT). Federal Transit Administration. Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) ProgramTIGGER Program . Federal Transit Administration. Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative Capital Grants ProgramVeterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative Capital Grants Program . Federal Transit Administration.

National Transit Database Since 1974, the National Transit Database (NTD) has served as the repository for data on the financial, operating, and asset conditions of the public transit systems of the United States, statistics that FTA uses to help apportion funding to urbanized and rural areas in the country. NTD data products, which are all free and open to the public, reflect a wide range of characteristics of its participating systems, including agency funding sources, vehicle and facility inventories, maintenance and state-of-good repair reports, safety data, catalogues of available transit services, modal breakdown, ridership estimates, and transit employment numbers.

Specific metrics reported to the NTD by participating agencies include Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM), Vehicle Revenue Hours (VRH), Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT), Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT), and Operating Expenses (OE).

See also Public transportation in the United States

References

External links

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Federal Transit Administration in the Federal Register