Mass Transit: FTA's Projections Could Better Reflect State and Local Needs

GAO discussed the nation's transit needs and the challenges the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the transit community face in addressing these needs. GAO noted that: (1) several projections of transit needs provided to Congress varied from $7.5 billion to $32 billion per year; (2) projections varied because FTA, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the American Public Transit Association defined transit needs differently by including or excluding certain cost elements and making different assumptions to determine cost; (3) the key components of transit's overall needs are capital expansion, capital maintenance, and replacement; (4) federal legislation could cause future transit needs to exceed all projections; (5) FTA should include operating costs in its projections to provide a complete picture of transit needs; and (6) FTA should utilize state public transportation improvement plans required under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act to provide information on state transit system conditions not available nationwide.