On May 30, the U.S. Department of Transportation released its fiscal year 2026 budget request to Congress, with the agency seeking a total of $147.1 billion in funding – comprised of $111.3 billion in new budgetary resources plus $35.8 billion in advance appropriations provided from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA of 2021.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
The USDOT added that its FY 2026 budget requests a $1.5 billion increase in new discretionary authority for a total of $27 billion; a nearly 6 percent increase from the agency’s enacted FY 2025 budget.
The USDOT’s budget request:
- Proposes a $22 billion funding boost for Federal Aviation Administration operations and infrastructure needs, including funding to hire up to 2,500 new air traffic controllers and an $824 million increase for FAA facilities and equipment – with $450 million specifically requested for radar modernization.
- Proposes a decrease of $308 million for the FAA’s Essential Air Service Program. That program provides subsides for small and rural communities that were served by major airlines prior to the aviation industry deregulation in 1978.
- Requests an additional $700 million for the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program while also proposing “cancellation” of approximately $5.7 billion in IIJA funding for electric vehicle charger construction programs.
- A $2.2 billion request for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants program; equal to the level enacted for FY 2025.
- Seeks $1.5 billion for the U.S. Maritime Administration to support key priorities in President Trump’s Executive Order 14269, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, including $550 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program and $105 million for the Assistance to Small Shipyards endeavor.
- Proposes $2.3 billion for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America or INFRA grant program – an increase of $770 million from the enacted FY 2025 funding level.
- Requests $500 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements or CRISI grant program; a $400 million increase over the enacted FY 2025 funding.
- Proposes zeroing out Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grants from the General Fund, while maintaining IIJA advance appropriations at $7.2 billion.
- Proposes funding Amtrak at $2.4 billion – equal to its FY 2025 level – and shifting $291 million from Northeast Corridor grants to National Network grants, while maintaining IIJA advance appropriations at $4.4 billion.
The agency’s budget request also proposes consolidating common program support services across USDOT’s modal administrations into the Office of the Secretary or OST – including procurement, human resources, information technology, civil rights, public affairs, and governmental affairs.
That shift would move approximately 800 full-time federal employees or FTEs from USDOT’s modal administrations into the OST, the agency said.
