Sponsors (14)
Official title: To improve Federal transportation programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Kristen McDonald Rivet · Last progress February 9, 2026
The bill directs substantial new federal funding and stronger federal support for bridge repairs, regional planning, and local project selection—boosting safety and local control—but does so by reallocating existing highway apportionments and adding new federal processes that increase administrative burden, shift funding away from some state priorities, and risk unequal access for smaller or less‑resourced communities.
State and local governments (including small towns and Tribal communities) will receive a large, dedicated increase in federal bridge repair and replacement funding (about $5.5B/year plus guaranteed minimums), improving bridge safety and reducing hazard risks.
Regional transportation planning organizations (RPOs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) gain more stable, 100% federal-funded planning support (minimum guarantees, set‑asides, and direct‑recipient authority), strengthening local planning capacity and lowering local matching costs.
Local governments (especially in areas under 50,000) and communities gain greater formal input and control over which projects receive federal funds through required consultations, TIP inclusion, and prioritization of locally selected projects.
Redirecting portions of existing federal apportionments and creating new set‑asides shifts funds away from other federal-aid highway programs and increases long‑term federal spending commitments, potentially reducing funding for some state priorities and adding taxpayer cost.
New formulas, Secretary approvals, consultation/certification requirements, MPO/TIP inclusion, and other federal processes increase administrative burden for State DOTs, MPOs, RPOs, and small local governments and may delay fund obligation and project delivery.
Guaranteed minimums and competitive processes risk concentrating funds with designated or better‑resourced entities; smaller, isolated, or less‑resourced rural, Tribal, and municipal governments may struggle to compete or to meet direct‑recipient qualifications, producing unequal access.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a $5.5B/year Strengthening Bridges formula, a $150M/year regional planning set‑aside, new consultation and competitive rules, and makes MPO planning 100% federally funded.
Creates new, dedicated bridge funding and strengthens regional and metropolitan transportation planning by reserving billions annually and changing how States allocate and consult on Federal-aid highway funds. It establishes a Strengthening Bridges Formula Program with $5.5 billion per year (FY2027–FY2031), a $150 million annual set-aside for regional transportation planning, makes metropolitan planning activities fully federally funded, and requires more direct involvement of local and regional planning bodies in project selection and fund distribution. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to stand up a program to help nonmetropolitan regional planning organizations access planning responsibilities and funds, sets minimum payments for federally designated regional transportation planning organizations, increases consultation and competitive processes before States transfer certain funds, and makes off-system local and Tribal-owned bridge projects potentially fully federally funded.