The Safe and Affordable Transit Act would provide federal grants to help public transit systems pay for crime prevention and security measures. Transit agencies could use these funds to hire additional police officers for buses and stations, contract with local police departments to increase patrols, or upgrade physical infrastructure like security cameras and operator shields. The bill authorizes $50 million annually from 2026 through 2030 for these operating costs, available to urbanized areas that currently receive federal transit funding. Additionally, the legislation requires the Transportation Department to commission a study from the National Academies examining what crime prevention strategies transit agencies currently use, which ones work best, and which have failed, with input from transit worker unions. The bill addresses growing concerns about safety on public transportation by combining direct funding for security improvements with research to identify the most effective approaches.
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