Safe and Affordable Transit Act

Summary

Provides federal authority and funding for transit safety operating grants and a research study. The bill lets eligible urban transit providers receive operating grants for safety-focused activities—such as hiring transit police, contracting with local police for more patrols, and making physical safety upgrades—by removing a prior population-based restriction. It authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030 and directs the Transportation Research Board, working with frontline transit worker labor organizations, to study crime prevention practices in public transit and report to Congress.

• Creates a new federal operating grant authority for transit safety activities for entities eligible under the urbanized-area transit program.
• Removes an existing population threshold so urbanized areas can receive safety operating grants regardless of that prior population requirement.
• Allows grant funds to be used to hire transit police, contract with local police for increased presence, and make physical safety upgrades.
• Authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030 to carry out the new grant program.
• Requires a Transportation Research Board study, in consultation with frontline transit worker labor groups, on effective crime-prevention practices in transit.
• The authorization does not itself appropriate funds; Congress must appropriate the authorized amounts for funding to be available.
• Affects operating budgets and safety strategies of transit agencies, and may change how agencies allocate personnel and contracting for patrols and infrastructure.
• Study results are intended to inform Congress and transit agencies on which tactics work and why, including both successful and unsuccessful approaches.