PRIA Logo™
119-hr-10902119th CongressWALLET

Safe Transit Act

Sponsored By: Representative Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]

Introduced

Summary

Ties federal transit funding to crime prevention and passenger and worker safety. The Safe Transit Act would require transit agencies to reserve part of their 5307 formula grants for safety projects, expand data and camera rules, create a public scorecard, and let the Secretary impose penalties when safety indicators are high.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.

Big penalties for noncompliant transit

If enacted, starting in fiscal year 2028 the Secretary could withhold up to 100% of formula transit aid from a recipient that does not fix specified deficiencies within 30 days. Noncompliance examples include not treating fare evasion as a criminal offense, not banning people determined to have committed violent offenses on transit, or not requiring certain bail bond rules. Withheld amounts could be returned if the jurisdiction comes into compliance that fiscal year; amounts not restored would lapse.

New safety targets for big systems

If enacted, the Transportation Secretary would set new safety performance targets within 90 days for covered transit operators. Agencies serving urbanized areas of 200,000 or more would need crime‑prevention and personal‑safety programs and would deploy barriers or other measures if a safety analysis shows benefit. For fiscal year 2027 aid, large systems would have to certify plans to acquire required fare-evasion infrastructure the next fiscal year.

Public transit grades and crime photos

If enacted, the Secretary would publish an annual Family Friendly Transit Scorecard that gives letter grades to systems. Agencies in urbanized areas of 200,000 or more would have to post their grade at each rail station and bus terminal and on their website. They would also have to publish images from security cameras showing people committing crimes no later than 7 days after the crime and keep those images up for at least 45 days, unless the Secretary waives the requirement as impracticable.

Federal funds for transit safety

If enacted, existing federal transit assistance could be used for many safety projects. Examples include better lighting, inward and outward cameras, emergency phones, fare-evasion equipment, cybersecurity, hiring transit officers, and paying operating costs related to those activities. The bill does not add new funding; it expands what existing money can pay for.

Limits on free transit rides

If enacted, a transit agency in an urban area of at least 200,000 people that runs 100 or more buses in peak hours would be barred from operating a general $0-fare program. Exceptions would remain for seniors, people with disabilities, children, students, and veterans. Short-term free programs for major events, emergencies, or fully subsidized local programs could still be allowed.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]

NJ • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation