October 2 , 2007
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The Honorable Patty Murray
Chairman
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing
& Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
SD-133 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Murray:
On behalf of the more than 1,500 member organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), I urge Congress to fund the federal transit program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (THUD) at no less than the $9.731 billion level authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). As you develop a compromise version of the THUD legislation, I urge you to support full funding for the New Starts and Small Starts program at the authorized level of $1.7 billion, the level set in the House-passed version of the bill.
APTA also urges conferees to adopt two provisions included in the Senate-passed THUD bill. First, APTA supports the Senate-passed provision that limits the amount of bus and bus facility funds that U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) can use for the Urban Partnership Congestion Initiative (UPCI) in FY 2008. While APTA embraces many of the concepts embodied in the UPCI, funding any single federal initiative at the expense of bus and bus facility needs under the normal program raises serious concerns. Second, APTA urges conferees to accept the Senate’s restriction on the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) ability to implement final regulations for the New Starts and Small Starts program. FTA’s proposed program rules do not sufficiently follow guidance provided by SAFETEA-LU and other Congressional directives.
In order to advance key national goals, such as reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while also increasing transportation mobility for Americans, APTA strongly believes that the federal government needs to invest no less than the $9.731 billion level authorized and guaranteed for FTA programs in the coming fiscal year. Thank you for your consideration of our views. If you have questions about these issues, please have your staff contact Paul Dean of APTA's Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4887 or email pdean@apta.com.
Sincerely,
William W. Millar
President
WWM/tjj
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