Resilient Transit Act of 2025

This legislation aims to enhance the resilience of public transportation systems by authorizing new grants for resilience improvements. It amends title 49, United States Code, to allow existing state of good repair grant funds to be used for projects that protect public transit from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. The Secretary of Transportation is empowered to make these grants to state and local government authorities for eligible activities. Eligible activities encompass a wide range of measures designed to increase system resilience, such as installing flood prevention and detection equipment, replacing flood-prone infrastructure, and improving drainage. Grants can also fund equipment to manage extreme temperatures, develop backup power systems for redundancy, and conduct vulnerability assessments. These improvements are crucial for safeguarding public transportation against threats like sea level rise, wildfires, and severe weather events. The bill defines and prioritizes projects benefiting environmental justice communities , medically underserved communities , and other underserved communities . It mandates annual reports to Congress detailing grant activities, including a summary of projects located in or benefiting these vulnerable populations. This reporting requirement ensures transparency and accountability regarding the equitable distribution of resilience funding. To support these new initiatives, the legislation authorizes an additional $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. This funding is specifically allocated to carry out the new public transportation resilience improvement grant program. The overall authorization for state of good repair grants is also increased to accommodate this new focus on resilience.