What does the Federal Transit Administration do?

Updates published annually

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation responsible for providing financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The agency oversees safety measures, helps develop new transit technologies, and ensures that transit systems are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. It was established in 1964.

In FY 2024,

$23.4B

was spent by the Federal Transit Administration

In FY 2024,

19.9%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Federal Transit Administration

How much does the Federal Transit Administration spend?

The Federal Transit Administration spent a net total of $23.4 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 19.9% of the $117.4 billion spent by the Department of Transportation, which itself was 1.7% of all federal spending. The FTA ranked second among DOT subdivisions in net spending.

Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Federal Transit Administration ranked second among Department of Transportation divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOT net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Federal Transit Administration’s federal spending has increased from $12.5 billion in 1980 to $23.4 billion in 2024.

The Federal Transit Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by FTA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Federal Transit Administration's spending has increased 87.5%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. FTA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, FTA accounted for 0.3% of overall federal spending.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Federal Transit Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by FTA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Federal Transit Administration transferred 100.0% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all net FTA spending.

How did the Federal Transit Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FTA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Federal Transit Administration?

Some 718 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Federal Transit Administration as of September 2024. This is 24.4% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Federal Transit Administration has increased 24.4% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for FTA, September 2010–2024

The Federal Transit Administration accounts for 0.031% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.027%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Federal Transit Administration’s share of the workforce (0.031%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.3%).

Who leads the Federal Transit Administration?

The FTA is led by an Administrator. This individual is nominated by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. The Administrator reports to the Secretary of Transportation. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement