One Seat Ride Act

House Bill

H.R. 1478

119th Congress

One Seat Ride Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 21, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Michael R. Turner

Representative

Republican

OH-10

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Summary

The One Seat Ride Act requires the Department of Transportation to study the benefits and obstacles of providing commuter rail service without transfers. It must examine economic, logistical, and quality of life factors, with specific focus on single-seat trips on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley line during peak hours and impacts on other NJ Transit lines.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The One Seat Ride Act requires the Department of Transportation to study the benefits and obstacles of providing commuter rail service without transfers. It must examine economic, logistical, and quality of life factors, with specific focus on single-seat trips on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley line during peak hours and impacts on other NJ Transit lines.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

One Seat Ride ActThis bill requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a study on the benefits of commuter rail passenger transportation and major obstacles to providing commuter rail passenger transportation that does not involve a transfer for passengers. The study must consider economic, logistical, and quality of life factors. It must also include a cost-benefit analysis of single-seat trips on the New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley line during peak hours and the impact such trips would have on other New Jersey Transit lines.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Requires DOT study on transfer-free commuter rail service
Examines benefits of one-seat ride options
Analyzes NJ Transit Raritan Valley line specifically
Covers economic, logistical, and quality of life factors
Assesses impact on other NJ Transit lines
Cost-benefit analysis of peak-hour single-seat trips

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill addresses a specific commuter concern in New Jersey where Raritan Valley Line riders must transfer at Newark Penn Station to reach New York Penn Station during peak hours. A one-seat ride study could inform infrastructure investments to enable direct service. While focused on one transit line, the study methodology could apply to similar transfer bottlenecks nationwide. Direct service would reduce commute times and improve ridership, but may require significant infrastructure and operational changes.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

1478, 119th Congress (2025). "One Seat Ride Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-1478