May 21, 2007
(Download document in Adobe PDF format)
The Honorable David Obey
Chairman
House Committee on Appropriations
H-218 United States Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Obey:
I write on behalf of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) more than 1,500 member organizations regarding the second Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations legislation to seek your support for increased funding for transit, passenger and freight rail security grants when Congress again considers such legislation in conference. We applaud the decision by Congress in H.R.1591, the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007, to increase funding for transit security by $325 million. Since the legislation was vetoed, we applaud the decision by the House to increase funding by this amount in the second supplemental appropriations bill, H.R.2206. As the legislation is considered in conference, we urge that no less than $325 million be provided for transit security. These funds are needed to address transit security needs throughout the country. We also urge Congress to include funding for formula transit grants administered by the Department of Transportation to transit agencies for operating and capital costs for transit service areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We support the decision by Congress to provide $35 million of funding in both H.R.1591 and H.R.2206 for this assistance.
Americans use public transportation for more than 10 billion trips each year. People use public transportation 34 million times each weekday, and we believe the federal government can and should do more to protect those citizens and the transit employees who serve them against terrorist acts. Terrorist attacks on transit systems in Mumbai, London, Madrid, as well as in other cities, highlight the need for the federal government to improve security in areas such as communication, surveillance, detection systems, personnel and training. Although an APTA survey has identified $6 billion in transit security needs, only $549 million in federal transit security funding has been provided through FY 2007.
We urge you to support this important funding for transit security in conference. If you have any questions about these issues, please have your staff contact Tom Yedinak of APTA’s Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4865 or email tyedinak@apta.com.
Sincerely,
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.
