Transit News
No new money proposed for transit security; needs far exceed budget proposal
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February 6, 2006
APTA is disappointed that President Bush's proposed FY 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget for the Targeted Infrastructure Protection program, a security infrastructure program that includes public transportation, freezes funding at the $600 million level proposed last year.
Like last year's proposal, the proposed $600 million funding for the Targeted Infrastructure Protection program, is for the protection of several critical infrastructures, including transit and ports. This amount of funding is insufficient to meet just transit security needs, which are in excess of $6 billion. We are concerned not only about the level of funding, but also the uncertainty of how much will be allocated to transit security, since this program funds a variety of security efforts in non-transit areas.
Considering the attacks on the London Underground last year, the time for cautious investment in transit security has passed. Now is the time to propose transit security funding that will better protect the millions of people who use public transportation systems in the U.S. every day and help harden our nation's transit infrastructure.
Funding transit security is a clear federal responsibility. APTA is committed to working with the Bush Administration and the 109th Congress to increase the level of funding for transit security.
In 2004, people took 9.6 billion trips on our nation's public transportation systems. Every day people take public transportation 32 million times a day -- 16 times more than ride domestic airlines each day.
