The Federal Advocacy Program is a set of initiatives and proposed funding championed by County Connection, in step with the values and goals of providing equitable and accessible public transportation for all. Each year, leadership from County Connection and regional elected officials travel to Washington D.C. to advocate for the needs of our agency and the financial support needed to carry out operations within central Contra Costa County. All planning is reviewed by our Board of Directors.
For 2026, we have prioritized the following points:
- Restore the Federal Highway & Mass Transit Fund
County Connection supports restoring the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), so that it can continue to fully fund federal transit programs at baseline spending levels. Revenue sources for the fund should be indexed to keep up with inflation and ensure long term solvency. - Enact APTA’s Recommendations on Mobility & Innovation
County Connection supports innovative mobility solutions to increase public transportation use. Innovations should prepare the next generation of public transportation employees through workforce development. - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act reauthorization
Federal support for public transportation is primarily administered by the Federal Transit Administration through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is set to expire in September 2026.- County Connection relies on vital federal funding to sustain essential programs such as vehicle replacement, ADA paratransit, and lifeline services.
- As Congress is working on the reauthorization, County Connection strongly supports renewing the IIJA at funding levels currently proposed by APTA and advocates for a new surface transportation authorization that closely mirrors the IIJA’s formula and discretionary programs.
- Maintaining these funding levels is critical to preserving a state of good repair, addressing inflationary pressures, and supporting future ridership growth.
Planning for the future of public transit
Recent Fixed Route Onboard Survey (2023)
The most recent fixed route onboard survey was conducted in the fall of 2023. Surveyors collected a total of 872 responses, including 625 responses on weekday routes, or about 8% of average weekday ridership, and 138 responses on weekend routes, or about 7% of average weekend ridership. A smaller sample of 109 surveys was collected for 600-series school routes. However, obtaining reliable survey results on school routes has always been a challenge, and responses were heavily skewed towards a handful of routes. Thus, the following results exclude responses from 600-series routes.
OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET FY26
The FY 2026 Budget authorized $56.7 million in operations expenses for fixed route and paratransit services, along with $13.6 million in capital expenditures, with revenues to offset these costs.
ONE-SEAT REGIONAL RIDE PROGRAM
The One-Seat Regional Ride Program aims to streamline current regional ride practices by eliminating required transfers for trips that cross multiple transit service areas. With the new program, passengers can have one-seat for the entire duration of their trip. Participating in the service is Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, operators of Tri Delta Transit, Western Contra Costa Transit Authority, operators of WestCAT, and Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority, operators of Wheels Bus.
TITLE VI PROGRAM REPORT
As a federal grant recipient, County Connection is required to maintain and provide to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) information on its compliance with the Title VI regulations. County Connection must perform a self-assessment every three years and to document that services and benefits are provided in a non-discriminatory manner.