BUFFER Act

HR 5216, the BUFFER Act, requires the Secretary of Transportation to allow regional transit agencies to increase their spare bus ratio to 30% upon meeting specific criteria. This directly affects transit agencies in regions that regularly experience extreme weather events like heatwaves or cold snaps, which disrupt fixed-route bus services. To qualify, agencies must certify their exposure to extreme weather, document past service disruptions, and explain how additional spare buses will maintain reliable service during such events. The bill mandates federal guidance to implement this change within one year of enactment, aiming to improve emergency resilience for bus-dependent riders.