Metro’s government relations provided the agency with the following update late Tuesday. The multi-year bill provides considerable funding for transit agencies across the nation:

Today, the U.S. Senate continued debate on amendments related to S. 1813, also known as MAP-21. It is expected that the Senate will vote on final passage of the bill tomorrow. The bill will fund surface transportation projects through 2013 at a cost of $109 billion. Due to an agreement in the Senate, the bill will not be sent over to the House for consideration, ensuring a conference committee between the two chambers. The U.S. House of Representatives is in recess this week. The House leadership expects to work on their surface transportation bill (HR 7) in a yet-to-be determined form when they come back to Washington next week. Metro’s federal team is actively engaging with our congressional delegation, especially as the current surface transportation extension expires on March 31, 2012.