Federal Transit Administration

This week, Kentucky’s TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky) hosted its first “Ready to Ride” class, a free monthly workshop designed to help new, returning, and current riders gain confidence using public transit. The class covers everything from pre-boarding tips to signaling your stop, and even includes hands-on practice on a real bus. Subsequent classes will be held on the first Monday of each month at TANK’s main office in Fort Wright. Kudos to TANK for making transit more accessible and user-friendly for everyone. 📅 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/emqp6A5E

Innovation is on the rise in Riverside, CA. As part of the Riverside Transit Agency’s two-year pilot program, riders can now board one of the nation’s first fully self-driving, publicly accessible transit shuttles. Each vehicle operates on a pre-mapped route at up to 25 mph and includes an onboard attendant to assist passengers. Service launched last month at the Riverside Municipal Airport, with additional routes to downtown and UC Riverside expected by the end of the program’s first year. 🚍

As part of President Trump’s “Get America Building Again” agenda, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently executed a first-of-its-kind agreement to streamline historic preservation reviews for transportation projects in Connecticut. The agreement delegates key responsibilities to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, giving the state more control over federally funded road, rail, and transit projects within its borders. This innovative approach is expected to reduce project timelines by at least six weeks, accelerating delivery, cutting red tape, and empowering Connecticut to lead. tinyurl.com/448uh5wd 🛤️🛣️

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At FTA, we want our transit workers to know that we see them. When radical politicians refuse to enforce law and order the physical safety and mental health of our transit workers suffers. We recognize their commitment to keeping American families moving and call on local officials to prioritize their well-being. FTA has compiled online resources on wellness, resilience, self-care, and more to support the transit industry in addressing mental health and improving security on our nation’s transportation systems. tinyurl.com/bdrhfd79 #mentalhealthawareness

Thanks to nearly $5 million in FTA grants, Oneida Public Transit in Wisconsin recently opened a new, centrally located transit garage. The new facility will help the agency maintain its fleet, expand storage for parts and supplies, and strengthen rider connections across the Oneida Nation, including to bus transfer centers, medical facilities, and other destinations. 

Transit ridership is surging across the Bay Area. From January to March 2025, transit agencies in the region recorded 3.2 million more trips than during the same period last year. Caltrain, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, San Francisco Bay Ferry, BART, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and more have all seen strong ridership growth. FTA is proud to support these improvements as the Bay Area continues to build a more connected, rider-focused future.

Last year, Quincy Transit in western Illinois saw a 14% increase in ridership, totaling over 280,000 rides—the highest since 2019. The agency attributes this growth to the system’s convenience and affordability, which enable residents to access jobs, healthcare, local businesses, and more. 

In Las Vegas, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is raising the bar for transit safety with a $26 million investment to enhance security systemwide, more than double its 2021 budget. The funding will support new tools like real-time officer tracking, body cameras, and state-of-the-art “nano buttons” that allow bus drivers to instantly alert security and dispatch help via GPS. FTA applauds RTCSNV’s efforts to Make Commuting Safe Again.

"The President and Secretary Duffy have made it clear that the priority is to make commuting safe again. That's why the Secretary has said that our transit agencies need to do more to improve security and deter crime and fare evasion on our transit systems to regain the trust of our commuters." - FTA Acting Administrator Tariq Bokhari at the 2025 American Public Transportation Association Legislative Conference

Bay Area Rural Transit recently opened its new administrative and maintenance facility in Park Falls, WI, to support its growing transit operations in Price County. Funded in part by $1.6 million through FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas program, the facility will help BART keep riders connected to jobs, healthcare, and other essential destinations across north-central Wisconsin.