Funding for future transit projects would be cut under the proposed budget outline from the Trump administration. The New Starts program, which provides project funding, would see its budget eliminated for projects that do not already have a federal funding agreement. Writes Angie Schmitt of Streetsblog:
Many cities have lined up local funding for rail and bus rapid transit projects under the assumption that it would be complemented by federal support. Without the New Starts funding, these projects will be in jeopardy as cities and transit agencies fend for themselves, either raising taxes, cutting other local priorities, or abandoning the expansion projects altogether to compensate. Dozens of projects would be affected:
The New Starts transit program only accounts for about 5 percent of federal surface transportation spending. The Trump budget outline doesn’t touch the lion’s share of those funds, which go to state DOTs to spend as they wish — mainly on roads.