• (Per BRGR) The House’s surface transportation reauthorization bill, titled the “BUILD America 250 Act” (H.R. 8870) was approved in committee May 22 in a 62-2 vote. The bill includes CRC’s requested provision to extend the current 30-day period to obtain liability insurance coverage to one year. The bill would also re-set the cap and change the mechanism by which it is updated to every five years. CRC members are reminded that despite this action in the House, current law will increase the excess liability cap with only a 30-day notice this year.

• The House’s FY27 THUD appropriations bill was approved by the full Appropriations committee Wednesday night in a 34-27 vote. The committee report released on Tuesday had details on funding recommendations. 

  Politico offered this breakdown of its key takeaways by DOT subagency.

  “When accounting for funds from the Biden-era package, DOT would see a year-over-year jump of $1.2 billion in money available to the department, with $111.6 billion total in the upcoming fiscal year when combining discretionary and mandatory spending. But without factoring in transfers, DOT would get a $4.7 billion cut in total budgetary resources.”

• New OMB Proposed Ruling: OMB has released a rewrite of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards that implements many of the changes President Trump outlined in his August executive order, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” 

  Motivating the rewrite is what the administration characterizes as a “lack of transparency, accountability, and proper oversight … between 2021 and 2024. Federal awards were often used during those years to promote a ‘woke’ policy agenda that did not reflect the values of the vast majority of the American public. For example, Federal programs and funding opportunities were designed to advance unlawful identity-based ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ (DEI) policies and preferences across the country. These policies were inconsistent with basic American values and civil rights laws, including the equal protection principles of the U.S. Constitution.”

  Read the full document here. Comments are due July 13.

• UP-NS Merger Latest: STB has officially accepted the revised $71.5 billion merger application between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern for consideration, but has paused the regulatory review process, ordering the railroads to submit crucial supplemental information by July 27, 2026. 

  On behalf of the Coalition, Kaplan Kirsch LLP will be coordinating with the legal departments at impacted member agencies to review the documents filed in the application in order to identify and articulate the merger’s impacts to commuter rail operations.

• (Per Politico) The FTA is seeking input from the transit industry and public on how to assess service quality, with the agency aiming to use the gathered information to develop tools that help operators be more “family-friendly.”

World Trade Center / MTA Red Line Conference Room
401 E. Pratt St, Baltimore | 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

• CRC board meetings are open only to members in good standing.

• Please arrive early as building escort is required for elevator access.

• To participate via Zoom, please RSVP to MAJ@CommuterRailCoalition.org by COB Thursday, June 25.

FORT WORTH’S “MOST INFLUENTIAL” INCLUDES TRINITY METRO

Congratulation to Fort Worth Inc.’s 500 Most Influential People, including Trinity Metro President and CEO Rich Andreski, as well as other members of the Trinity Metro leadership team: Jeff Davis, Michael Crain, Isaac Manning, Anette Landeros, Reed Lanham, and Mike Brennan. Together, they are making strides to expand services, strengthen partnerships, and create transit that is easy, accessible, and welcoming for all.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• How do transportation agencies address human trafficking? USDOT awards recognize innovation (Smart Cities Dive)

• Mass Transit: Pandemic Ridership Recovery and Agency Adaptions (Eno Center for Transportation)

• How a century-old railway law sows modern transit havoc (The Washington Post)

• All Aboard Charlotte explores commuter rail option to ease I-77 congestion (WBTV 3)

• Advocate says Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, now in effect, will improve transit around Chicago area (CBS News Chicago)

• New South Shore president faces pointed reminder about timekeeping concerns (Trains.com)

• TX: Need a ride to the FIFA World Cup? This North Texas train will transport you (Mass Transit)

• $35M upgrade to Foxborough Station expected to cut World Cup transit times in half (Boston 25 News)

• Kraft Group paid more than $5 million toward new MBTA station in Foxborough (WBUR)

• World Cup Warning: Pou Demands Answers from Amtrak After Rail Disruptions (US Congresswoman Nellie Pou)