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Fairfax supervisors warned BRT, WMATA and other projects face risk if federal transportation funding changes
Summary
County and consultant presenters said surface transportation reauthorization and proposed federal cuts could affect BUILD, FTA new starts/CIG and dedicated WMATA funding; staff urged expediting the Richmond Highway BRT schedule to avoid missing grant windows.
County staff and outside consultants told Fairfax supervisors on Dec. 2 that the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit project and other regional transit priorities could be jeopardized by changes in federal transportation authorization and funding.
Jeffrey Burke of the Ferguson Group said the next surface transportation reauthorization (typically every five years) will set program rules and funding levels that directly affect county plans. Burke noted that the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) provides authorization through Sept. 30, 2026, and that reauthorization work in Congress in early 2026 will influence grant programs used by Fairfax, including BUILD and Safe Streets for All.
Noel Dominguez, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, told supervisors that the county’s BRT on Richmond Highway “needs the largest share of money and cannot happen without that money.” County staff and presenters said FTA has advanced funding (provided under IIJA) that kept operations and some programs going through the recent federal shutdown and noted the FTA’s advanced funding currently extends into 2026. But speakers cautioned that reauthorization could alter program structure and levels and urged staff to expedite project delivery to avoid missing grant eligibility windows.
Presenters also called attention to WMATA dedicated funding and CIG/new‑starts capital grants (CIG) that support fixed guideway projects; staff said those are discrete funding lines to watch in reauthorization and appropriations work. Burke said an idea floated by the administration to remove transit funding from the Highway Trust Fund was quickly criticized by House transportation leadership and did not appear to be advancing in Congress at the time of the briefing, but he recommended continued monitoring.
Board members asked staff to accelerate procurement and schedule milestones where possible so projects that rely on federal competitive grants maintain eligibility. The county will monitor congressional reauthorization text and maintain outreach to the delegation and to House and Senate committee chairs and ranking members.
Next steps: DOT staff will report back on steps to expedite the Richmond Highway BRT schedule and keep the Board updated on reauthorization developments.
