A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to include certain ridership forecasting methods in determinations of whether a project under the fixed guideway capital investment grants program is justified, and for other purposes.
Key claim: S5114 would amend title 49 to require that certain ridership forecasting methods be included when determining whether a fixed guideway Capital Investment Grants project is justified.
Abstract
(S5114 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-23): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Why this matters
Ridership forecasts drive the project-justification rating that determines which fixed-guideway transit projects (light rail, BRT, streetcar, commuter rail) qualify for federal Capital Investment Grants funding. By statutorily specifying which forecasting methods FTA must accept, the bill would constrain agency discretion in evaluating CIG applications and could affect which projects clear the justification threshold. It is a procedural change rather than a funding or program-scope shift.