Texas Transit Association

The American Public Transportation Association reports that last week legislation was signed allowing communities in urban areas that for the first time exceeded a population of 200,000 according to the 2000 Census, to retain flexibility in the use of federal transit formula grants for FY 2003. Previously, only transit agencies serving urbanized areas of less than 200,000 had the flexibility to use federal transit formula grants for operating expenses. The new law gives 52 cities affected one year to continue using the funds for both operating and capital expenses. Lubbock was the single city in Texas to move over that census threshold.