May 18, 2006
The Honorable Joe Knollenberg
Chairman
House Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury,
and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary,
District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies
2358 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6027
(Download in Adobe PDF format)
Dear Chairman Knollenberg:
On behalf of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and its more than 1,600 member organizations, I write to express our views on several important matters before the subcommittee: investment in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, commuter rail matters, and funding for the emergency response and recovery of public transportation in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The FY 2007 Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill is an opportunity to address national goals and objectives through investment in our surface transportation infrastructure, including public transportation. We strongly urge Congress to fund the federal transit program at no less than the $8.975 billion level authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which Congress approved just last summer.
The Administration’s FY 2007 budget proposal recognizes the importance of public transportation investment. While we are pleased that the Administration’s proposal adheres to the authorized transit program in most respects, APTA has two main concerns with the President’s FY 2007 budget proposal.
The Administration requested $100 million less than the amount authorized from the general fund for the new starts program, proposing to fund only half of the authorization level for the new small starts program, a program to fund less costly fixed guideway projects such as street cars, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit lines. The effect of underfunding the small starts/new starts program will be felt disproportionately in future years by causing transit providers to fall further behind in the development of new, less expensive projects, robbing communities of the congestion relief and environmental benefits associated with the projects. Public transportation plays a key role in meeting the goals of the Administration and Congress in providing energy independence, congestion relief and transportation mobility options for Americans. APTA strongly believes that the federal government should invest no less than the level authorized and guaranteed by Congress for FY 2007 in SAFETEA-LU.
The Administration also proposes that commuter railroads assume a higher portion of capital and maintenance expenses on the Amtrak-owned portion of the Northeast Corridor. For FY 2007, APTA urges Congress not to include language on commuter railroads similar to what was included in last year’s appropriations law. Commuter railroads already pay a fair share of Northeast Corridor costs as established through carefully negotiated legal, financial, and operating agreements involving substantial state investments.
Separately, APTA strongly supports the $200 million for the emergency response and recovery of public transportation in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina included in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (H.R. 4939) as approved by the Senate.
Like highways, ports, and airports, public transportation in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi sustained significant and heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina. Previous supplemental appropriations legislation for hurricane relief included funding for the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration ($2.750 billion), the Federal Aviation Administration ($40.6 million), and Maritime Administration ($7.5 million), but did not include any specific assistance for the FTA.
The affected transit providers are struggling to provide necessary service to the residents of these communities, and they need substantial assistance. The local tax base that pays for the local share of transit costs has been reduced or eliminated. The proposed funding and provisions that waive local share requirements and operating restrictions for federal grants to the affected agencies will help the region’s public transportation providers restore badly needed service, providing mobility to thousands of residents as they continue to recover from the hurricane.
We appreciate your consideration of our views. If you have questions or we can help in any other way, 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
Some of these pages may include links to documents in the Adobe PDF format. Please download the Adobe PDF reader if you have not already done so.
