BUS Act
Bill: H.R.3334 | Sponsor: Rep. Bourdeaux, Carolyn (D-GA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Build Up the Suburbs Act or the BUS Act
This bill modifies programs that support public transportation projects, with a particular focus on fixed-guideway transportation systems (e.g., light rail and bus rapid transit).
Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for certain grants that support the construction and expansion of such systems. In particular, it increases the cap on federal assistance for Small Starts projects (funded through Capital Investment Grants) from $100 million to $360 million and the total estimated net capital cost from $300 million to $600 million. It also includes express lane transit systems within the scope of fixed guideways.
Further, the Department of Transportation must give priority in selecting Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects to those that include public transportation components.

To increase the project cap for certain small starts projects, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Build Up the Suburbs Act'' or the 
``BUS Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 5302 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), 
        (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), 
        (22), (23), and (24) as paragraphs (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), 
        (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), 
        (23), (24), and (25), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
            ``(7) Express lane transit system.--The term `express lane 
        transit system' means a public transportation facility that--
                    ``(A) utilizes an integrated combination of bus 
                rapid transit and tolled managed lanes; and
                    ``(B) allows for limited access entry of toll 
                paying vehicles to restricted lanes, while prioritizing 
                transit's need and use of available capacity in order 
                to improve transit performance.''; and
            (3) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``; or'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (E) by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) for express lane transit system.''.

SEC. 3. FIXED GUIDEWAY CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS.

    Section 5309(a)(7) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``$100,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$360,000,000''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``$300,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$600,000,000''.

SEC. 4. NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT FREIGHT AND HIGHWAY PROJECTS.

    Section 117 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(o) Priority.--In selecting projects under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to projects that include multimodal 
public transportation components.''.
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