Carbajal, Moore Lead Bipartisan Effort to Support Transit Infrastructure in Mid Sized Cities

U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Blake Moore (R-UT-01) introduced the bipartisan Medium Transit Intensive Cities (MTIC) Authorization Act , a bill to provide more federal support for transportation infrastructure in medium-sized cities. The bill would create a new Medium Transit Intensive Cities (MTIC) category within the Section 5307 transit‑funding program. The program would be modeled on the successful Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) formula but designed for medium‑sized urban areas with 200,000 to 999,999 residents. Read the full text of the legislation here . While medium‑sized urban areas often provide transit service comparable in quality and intensity to large metropolitan systems, the current federal funding formula for infrastructure projects does not adequately recognize or reward their performance. “Many medium‑sized cities on the Central Coast and across the country have strong transit systems that people depend on to get to work, school, and to stay connected with their communities,” said Rep. Carbajal. “But the current federal transit funding framework isn’t adequate for these communities, leaving too many of them without the support they need. My bipartisan bill closes that gap by ensuring we invest in transit systems that serve their riders effectively, no matter the community’s size.” "Existing transit programs often favor either small or large cities, overlooking medium-sized cities such as Ogden and Layton in Northern Utah. By creating a federal set-aside to reward high-performing transit agencies operating in medium-sized cities, we can ensure that transit agencies are able to meet citizens' needs and make the long-term investments necessary to support growing populations. I’m excited to work with Representative Carbajal to introduce the Medium Transit Intensive Cities Authorization Act to support medium-sized communities that are providing high-quality transit options,” said Rep. Moore. “Communities shouldn’t be penalized for population growth. The Medium Transit Intensive Cities Authorization Act would ensure that high-performing transit providers who connect people with jobs, school, and opportunity have the resources to do so,” said Jerry Estrada, General Manager of Santa Barbara MTD. “The Bus Coalition strongly supports the Medium Transit Cities Authorization Act as a smart, targeted step toward a more equitable and performance-driven federal transit program. Across the country, mid-sized transit systems are delivering high-quality, efficient service that connects people to jobs, education, and essential services, yet too often they are disadvantaged by a funding formula that doesn’t fully recognize their impact. “By creating a Medium Transit Intensive Cities set-aside, this legislation rewards strong performance, encourages continued innovation, and ensures that communities of all sizes have a fair opportunity to compete for federal resources. We commend Congressman Carbajal for advancing a proposal that strengthens mobility, supports economic growth, and better aligns federal investment with real-world transit outcomes,” Ed Redfern, Executive Director of The Bus Coalition. Under current law, transit agencies in medium-sized regions are effectively measured against—and must compete with—large urban areas with populations over 1 million, which benefit from scale, density, and significantly greater resources. As a result, even high-performing medium-sized transit systems are at a structural disadvantage and are less able to access performance-based funding opportunities available within the existing framework. The MTIC program would dedicate 1.5 percent of Section 5307 funding to reward transit agencies in these mid-sized regions that meet or exceed performance benchmarks. Metrics such as ridership, service frequency, and service provided per capita would be used to ensure that funding is directed toward systems delivering strong results for their communities. By aligning incentives with performance, this proposal would: Reward high-performing transit agencies in medium-sized regions that are often overlooked in the current formula; Encourage improved service delivery and efficiency, strengthening transit systems nationwide; Promote equity across urbanized areas by recognizing that strong transit outcomes are not limited to the largest cities; Support economic growth and mobility in communities that rely on robust transit but lack proportional federal support. As a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Carbajal has long worked to support infrastructure projects on the Central Coast and beyond. In 2021, Carbajal helped write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in American infrastructure in nearly a century. Since its passage, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has delivered more than $1 billion in funding to projects up and down the Central Coast. In July 2025, Carbajal introduced the bipartisan National Infrastructure Investment Corporation (NIIC) Act , which would authorize the creation of a national infrastructure bank. The bank created by the NIIC Act would be authorized to provide loans and loan guarantees to local infrastructure projects, giving local governments another potential funding source in addition to support provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or other federal and state funding sources. In September 2025, Carbajal led a group of bipartisan House members in the introduction of the Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act , legislation that would fund upgrades to drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure to make them more resilient against threats ranging from cyberattacks to extreme weather.