The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and a coalition of 45 industry partners sent letters urging Congress and the Biden Administration to provide an additional $10 billion investment into public transportation and high-speed rail in the Build Back Better reconciliation bill.
The August 30 letters asked Congress and the administration to return $10 billion cut from the original $49 billion funding proposed by a bipartisan group of Senators and the White House in the original infrastructure package. The $49 billion for transit funding would have helped people get back to jobs, increase access to essential services and address climate goals, the coalition letters said.
“These bold investments in public transportation in the Build Back Better Act will enable us to tackle climate change, advance equity, and meet the growing and evolving mobility demands of our communities,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said. “Investing in public transit and high-speed rail will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and public health, and help transform our nation’s transportation network for a sustainable future. Public transportation creates access to opportunities, including jobs, health care, and education, which can help our communities address the equity challenges that they face.”
The coalition was comprised of national associations representing a vast spectrum of transportation sectors from public transit to high-speed rail, labor, environmental, local government, mobility, and construction interests.
The additional investment would connect working families to new opportunities and support economic growth in local and regional communities through reliable, safe bus, subway or rail lines. Additional investment would help local and regional governments address the climate crisis.
“Transit is one of the most important investments we can make to address racial inequity and tackle the climate crisis,” Bianca Oden, a senior strategist at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), said. “Congress should deliver substantial new investment to expand service, provide long-overdue upgrades and support jobs. Without the necessary support for transit we will all be worse off.”