Transit agencies found much to smile about in President Obama's fiscal year 2015 budget proposal, which seeks to boost the Federal Transit Administration's total budget by 63%, to $17.6 billion. "This is a terrific proposal for public transportation," says Rob Healy, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) vice president for government affairs.
For design and construction firms, a particular focus is the $2.5 billion Obama is seeking—up 29% from 2014—for FTA capital investment grants, which fund new starts. But the request faces high hurdles on Capitol Hill. It first will be scrutinized by congressional appropriators, who have less than 1% more in total non-defense discretionary funds available in 2015 than they had in 2014.