February 21, 2006
(Download in Adobe PDF format)
The Honorable Jim Nussle
Chairman
House Committee on the Budget
309 Canon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6065
Dear Chairman Nussle:
On behalf of the more than 1,600 member organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), I write to express our views on public transportation investment needs as the Budget Committee develops the FY 2007 budget resolution.
APTA understands the focus on fiscal restraint, and we appreciate that worthy programs must compete for scarce federal resources. However, we believe that investment in the transit infrastructure is an excellent use of federal funds on many counts. Transit is an important part of the surface transportation network. It can reduce congestion and make our highway system work better, reduce dependence on oil imports, and provide mobility for millions of Americans.
In his State of the Union Message to the nation, President Bush cited America's addiction to foreign oil as a serious problem. While we know that increased use of public transportation can reduce energy consumption, we also know that ridership increases are dependent on the availability of convenient service. We urge you not to undercut transit's ability to provide convenient service to the nation and its citizens.
Last July, the House voted 412 to 8 in support of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). That bill represents an excellent start on meeting transit needs. It authorizes $8.975 billion for the federal transit program in FY 2007, including $7.263 billion in contract authority from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and $1.712 billion in new budget authority general fund spending.
APTA is disappointed that the Administration has not proposed to fund transit at the level so recently authorized and guaranteed by Congress. The Administration has requested $100 million less than the amount authorized from the general fund for the new starts program. The budget recommends only half of the funding authorized for a new, small starts program that would fund less costly fixed guideway projects such as light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit systems.
There is an enormous demand for new fixed guideway investment. New rail and fixed guideway projects are an important part of meeting transit needs, but such projects take a long time to develop and require a predictable funding commitment. Now is not the time to underinvest in such an essential part of our transportation system.
With the U.S. Department of Transportation recently estimating an annual need of more than $20.6 billion for public transportation investment and with 387 new start projects authorized in SAFETEA-LU, APTA believes that the federal government should invest no less than the level authorized and guaranteed by Congress. The new starts program should be funded at its authorized and guaranteed level of $1.566 billion for FY 2007, and the FY 2007 appropriation for all federal transit programs should be set at the $8.975 billion level as authorized and guaranteed by SAFETEA-LU.
We thank you for your consideration of APTA's views. Should you have questions about these or other issues, please have your staff contact Rob Healy of APTA's Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4811 or email rhealy@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William
W. Millar
President
WWM/tjj
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