What a Change in Administrations Could Mean for Public Transportation and VRE
As the U.S. prepares for the administration of Donald Trump in January, many transportation providers, including the Virginia Railway Express, are watching for signs of shifts in federal policy and funding priorities. While much of Trump’s transportation agenda remains uncertain, early media reports suggest the administration will diverge from policies established under President Biden.
What We Know So Far
1.Trump has picked former congressman Sean Duffy to run the Department of Transportation (DOT) which provides billions of dollars to fund roads, bridges, transit, railroads, and airports.
2. Media reports suggest the administration may mandate federal employees return to the office full time, impacting transit ridership in the Washington, D.C. region.
A major question is how discretionary funding under the DOT will be managed. While most federal transportation funds are allocated to states and transit agencies through formulas established by law, the administration has discretion over billions in grant funding. According to The Washington Post, “The Biden administration sought to use that money to promote environmental projects and efforts to reconnect communities harmed by the construction of highways in decades past.” However, the incoming administration is expected to shift priorities, potentially reducing support for public transportation and sustainability projects.
At the same time, some stability remains. Yonah Freemark, a transportation policy expert, notes, “U.S. transportation funding is relatively fixed, which makes it less subject to annual appropriations or political turnover.” This could safeguard transit agencies, like VRE, even amid broader policy changes.
Most rail systems nationwide have not yet matched pre-pandemic ridership, and VRE is no exception. Many factors play into this. NBC4 Washington reports “In the wake of the pandemic, federal workers haven’t returned to downtown D.C in force.…Once Trump takes office, that all could change. There are rumblings his administration may call all federal workers back to the office full time.” If federal workers return to in-office schedules, it could increase ridership across regional transit systems, including Metro and VRE.
However, the elimination of remote work may cause some federal employees to leave their jobs, according to Cardinal News. This, in turn, could negatively affect VRE ridership, as more than 70 percent of its riders work for the federal government. VRE’s planned service expansions, such as weekend service, aim to build ridership beyond traditional workweek commuters.
While it’s too early to predict what the Trump administration’s policies will be, changes appear to be on the horizon. VRE is committed to navigating any shifts to continue providing safe, efficient and reliable service for its riders.
Works Cited
· "Maryland Lawmakers Warn of 'Full-Fledged Assault' on Federal Workers." WTOP News, 25 Nov. 2024, https://wtop.com/local/2024/11/maryland-lawmakers-warn-of-full-fledged-assault-on-federal-workers/.
· "What Trump May Mean for Federal Workers, Remote Work, and Metro." NBC Washington, 25 Nov. 2024, https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/what-trump-may-mean-for-federal-workers-remote-work-and-metro/3770497/.
· "Trump Wants Federal Workers Back in the Office. However, Many of Them Appear to Have Moved to Rural Virginia." Cardinal News, 25 Nov. 2024, https://cardinalnews.org/2024/11/25/trump-wants-federal-workers-back-in-the-office-however-many-of-them-appear-to-have-moved-to-rural-virginia/.
· Long, Heather. "Sean Duffy, Trump’s Transportation Secretary Nominee, May Shift Infrastructure Focus." The Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/18/sean-duffy-transportation-secretary-nominee/.