Rural communities could seek federal grants for ride-share services, flexible bus routes and other transportation programs under bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday by Rep. Josh Riley of New York and Rep. James Gallagher of California. The bill is a proposal; Congress has not approved the new grant program.
The Improving Rural Transportation Act would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer grants to communities with populations below 200,000, according to Riley's office. It would cover transportation infrastructure and help communities deploy ride-share, microtransit, flexible-route and other services.
Riley said residents of small upstate communities may have to drive 20 or 30 miles to reach a doctor, grocery store or post office. That distance presents a particular barrier to people without cars or who cannot drive, he said. The bill is intended to let communities design services that fit their circumstances rather than impose a single model.
Local partners would share project costs
The proposal would give priority to projects involving local governments, private businesses and nonprofit organizations. State or local partners would have to cover at least 20% of project costs, leaving a potential federal share of no more than 80% under the matching requirement described in the release.
The lawmakers did not give a total authorization amount, an application timeline or a list of eligible communities in their announcement. Nor did they identify a transportation project that had already received funding under the proposal.
Gallagher, who represents a California district, said smaller communities need flexibility to create services suited to them, with private-sector involvement. The measure has the endorsement of the Center for Transportation and the Environment, an organization that works with transportation fleets.
Dan Raudebaugh, the center's executive director, said its work with rural fleets has reinforced the need to improve access and service quality outside cities. He said the legislation could support advanced transportation technology in those communities.
The next step is consideration in Congress. Until lawmakers enact and fund the measure, the proposed grants and cost-sharing rules would not be available to communities.
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