News Release
By William W. Millar, President
American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
February 5, 2007
Mantill Williams
(202) 496-4869
mwilliams@apta.com
(Download In Adobe PDF format)
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is extremely disappointed that the Administration budget request for FY 2008 is $308 million below the public transportation investments authorized and guaranteed under The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). President Bush submitted specifics regarding the funding of public transportation as a part of the overall transportation budget to Congress on Monday.
APTA strongly advocates that Congress set public transit investment at the $9.731 billion level authorized in FY 2008 under SAFETEA-LU, and believes that the Administration request of $9.422 billion undermines the need to expand public transportation. More importantly it will detract from our efforts to reduce America's dependence on imported oil, address global warming and provide mobility for all. The President's budget funds the federal highway program at the authorized levels and we urge Congress to do the same for transit funding. To do otherwise is shortsighted.
The President's budget fails to support some $300 million in investments in new rail and fixed guideway transit projects that are authorized under SAFETEA-LU. This is a failure to fund nearly 18% of the investment authorized to build these new projects which are crucial to attracting new riders. In addition, the budget falls short of authorized research funding by $4 million and Federal Transit Administration program funding by $3.2 million.
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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.
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