Congressman DeSaulnier Introduces Legislation to Increase Public Transportation Accountability and Improve Rider Experience

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman DeSaulnier introduced the Better Transit for Riders Act, legislation to help transit agencies deliver better service for riders of public transportation by making these systems more efficient and reliable. Specifically, this bill strives to shorten travel times, reduce the number of missed connections, and create a more reliable experience for riders by making it easier for transit systems within the same metropolitan area to coordinate planning, fare integration, service design, and funding strategies.

"Inefficient public transit is not just a transportation issue - it is a quality-of-life issue. Every hour spent tied up in travel and commute time is an hour that could be spent at home with family, socializing with friends, attending to personal tasks, or relaxing after a long day at work," said Congressman DeSaulnier. "Increasing the reliability and efficiency of transit networks requires transit agencies to raise and use their resources effectively. By bringing together experts across the country, this legislation will help communities learn from successful models and provide their local transit agencies with the tools to better serve riders while ensuring their sustainability."

"Data is the backbone of transit system safety and reliability across the country," said Intelligent Transportation Society America President and CEO Laura Chace. "This bill would address ways to improve public transit through better transit data interoperability and technology coordination, and we welcome the introduction of Rep. DeSaulnier's Better Transit for Riders Act.

The Better Transit for Riders Act would create and convene a task force of transit agencies, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, labor representatives, community stakeholders, and other experts to develop recommendations and benchmarks for improving transit funding, operations, coordination, and performance. Specifically, the bill would identify best practices related to:

• Strategic transit investments and long-term funding models;
• Improving the overall rider experience, safety, reliability, and service quality.
• Coordination among transit agencies serving the same metropolitan area;
• Integrated fares and payment systems;
• Regional transit and land-use planning; and
• Access to transit and first- and last-mile connections.
  

This legislation comes as public transit ridership numbers remain around 20% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels nationally, and as Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) faces a significant financial deficit despite federal pandemic financial assistance and a recent state loan. The Better Transit for Riders Act is intended to increase the standard for transit agencies to increase ridership and bring in more sustainable financing.

The text of the bill can be found here.

DeSaulnier is also exploring avenues for more federal data and oversight of how the nation's largest metropolitan regions address congestion management and what their biggest challenges are to increasing transit ridership and reducing congestion, particularly post the COVID-19 pandemic. This work would build upon other reports he commissioned from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) related to the positive impacts of telework, which has caused significant changes in commuting trends:

• The first report examined trends in telework before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic and how it increased productivity.
• The second report laid out data showing the positive impact telework has had on worker productivity and firm performance in certain sectors.
• The third report highlights how increases in telework have been beneficial for workers, the economy, and the environment and that more federal support is needed to help localities better plan for and harness the impact of telework.
  

As part of his efforts to improve quality of life through transportation improvement initiatives, Congressman DeSaulnier previously authored an amendment that would require a study on national commuting trends, including telework and hybrid work arrangements, to help modernize transportation and community planning and improve commuters' daily life. This amendment was passed by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as part of the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a 5-year bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization bill, that now awaits consideration by the full House of Representatives.

Congressman DeSaulnier is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He is also a former member of the California Air Resources Board and former Chairman of the transportation committees in both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.