Legislative Proposal to Enhance Public Transit Resilience and Advance Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

In response to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as the severe flooding of New York City’s subway system on July 14, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressmember Adriano Espaillat have reintroduced the Resilient Transit Act of 2025. This legislative initiative aims to establish a dedicated federal funding stream for projects that improve the resilience of public transportation infrastructure. The Act directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on infrastructure, sustainable cities, and climate action.

Key Provisions of the Resilient Transit Act of 2025

The proposed legislation outlines a clear framework for allocating resources to bolster the nation’s transit systems against climate-related threats. Key financial and administrative details include:

• Funding Authorization: The Act would authorize an additional $300 million for Fiscal Year 2026.
• Funding Source: Funds would be drawn from the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund.
• Allocation Method: The authorized funds would be apportioned for resilience improvement grants, following the existing formula of the State of Good Repair Grants Program.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Resilient Transit Act is fundamentally aligned with the global agenda for sustainable development, providing a tangible mechanism to advance key SDG targets at a national level.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

The Act directly addresses Target 9.1, which calls for the development of quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure. By funding projects to withstand climate shocks, the legislation aims to:

• Ensure the operational continuity of essential public transportation services.
• Protect critical infrastructure assets from damage caused by events like floods and heat waves.
• Support sustained economic activity and human well-being by maintaining reliable transit networks.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

By focusing on urban transit systems, the Act contributes to making cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. It specifically supports:

1. Target 11.2: Providing access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems for all, by ensuring these systems can function reliably in the face of climate change.
2. Target 11.5: Reducing economic losses and service disruptions caused by natural disasters, thereby protecting vulnerable urban populations who rely heavily on public transit.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The legislation is a direct implementation of climate adaptation strategies, crucial for achieving Target 13.1, which focuses on strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

• It provides dedicated resources for public transit authorities to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• It promotes the integration of climate resilience into long-term infrastructure planning and maintenance.

Scope of Resilience Improvement Projects

Funds provided through the Act would support a range of projects designed to enhance the durability of transit systems. These projects include:

• The use of structural and nonstructural techniques to mitigate risks.
• Proactive measures to prepare for specific climate-related hazards, including:
  • Floods
  • Sea level rise
  • Heat waves
  • Earthquakes

Conclusion and Legislative History

The Resilient Transit Act of 2025 represents a critical step toward future-proofing the United States’ public transportation infrastructure. By creating a dedicated funding mechanism for climate adaptation, the bill provides a necessary tool for advancing national progress on Sustainable Development Goals 9, 11, and 13. This marks the third introduction of the bill, following previous efforts by Senator Gillibrand and Congressmember Espaillat in 2022 and 2023, underscoring a persistent effort to address this pressing issue.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

The article on the “Resilient Transit Act of 2025” addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals by focusing on infrastructure, urban living, and climate change.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  This goal is central to the article, which discusses the need to build and upgrade infrastructure. The proposed legislation aims to fund “resilience improvement projects for public transportation systems,” directly contributing to the development of resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article highlights the vulnerability of urban transit systems, specifically the “NYC subway station,” to severe weather. By aiming to improve the resiliency of public transportation, the legislation supports the goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Reliable public transit is a cornerstone of a sustainable city.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This goal is the primary driver for the proposed legislation. The article explicitly states the act is a response to “extreme weather events precipitated by climate change, including earthquakes, sea level rise, heat waves and floods.” The initiative is a direct action to combat the impacts of climate change by strengthening adaptive capacity and resilience to climate-related hazards.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

Based on the content of the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being

   The “Resilient Transit Act of 2025” directly aligns with this target. Its purpose is to provide a “dedicated stream of federal funding to strengthen the resilience of the United States’ public transportation systems.” The article mentions that these “resilience improvement projects” are designed to help infrastructure “better anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to extreme weather events.”

2. Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all

   The flooding of the NYC subway station, as mentioned in the article, disrupts access to transport systems. By funding projects to make transit systems more resilient, the legislation aims to ensure that public transportation remains safe and operational, even in the face of extreme weather, thereby securing access for all who rely on it.

3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

   The article is fundamentally about this target. The legislation is a direct response to the increasing frequency of “severe storms” and “extreme weather events.” The goal is to “improve the resiliency of transit systems” to climate-related disasters like floods and heat waves, which directly enhances the adaptive capacity of critical urban infrastructure.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress toward the identified targets:

• Indicator for Targets 9.1 and 13.1: Financial Investment in Resilient Infrastructure

  The article provides a specific financial figure that serves as a direct indicator. It states the legislation would “authorize an additional $300 million from the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund for Fiscal Year 2026 for resilience improvement grants.” Tracking the allocation and disbursement of this funding is a clear way to measure commitment and progress.

• Indicator for Targets 9.1 and 13.1: Implementation of National Policies and Strategies

  The reintroduction of the “Resilient Transit Act of 2025” itself is an indicator. It represents a legislative effort to integrate climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction into national infrastructure planning. The passage and implementation of this act would be a key measure of progress.

• Indicator for Targets 9.1, 11.2, and 13.1: Number and Scope of Resilience Projects

  The article refers to “resilience improvement projects” that would be funded by the act. An implied indicator would be the number of transit systems that receive grants and the specific “structural and nonstructural techniques” they implement to adapt to climate risks. Measuring the reduction in service disruptions during future extreme weather events would be a long-term indicator of the success of these projects.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: brooklyneagle.com