Transit officials are expressing support for the calls made this past week from both House Democratic leaders and President Trump for the next phase of an economic stimulus package to include a bipartisan deal on infrastructure spending.
“Increased investment in infrastructure creates jobs and strengthens local economies, and that is exactly what America needs right now,” Paul P. Skoutelas, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and CEO, said in a statement. “As the nation moves forward and works to address the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, renewed investment in public transportation infrastructure will provide a solid economic foundation for recovery.”
APTA says it applauds House leaders and the president for jumpstarting the infrastructure conversation, and that the association members look forward to working with the House and Senate on bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will repair, maintain, and improve public transit and passenger rail systems today and in the future.
APTA has emphatically urged lawmakers that now is the time to invest more in the nation’s public transportation infrastructure to help communities provide critical public transit services and economic opportunities.
House Democratic leaders, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter A. DeFazio (D-Oregon), spoke Wednesday about their plan to address America’s growing infrastructure needs, the Moving Forward Framework, first proposed in January. The proposal calls for an investment of $489 billion over five years in surface transportation, including $105 billion for public transit and $55 billion for passenger rail.
APTA has proposed $178 billion over six years to restore the nation’s public transit and passenger rail systems to a state of good repair and meet the mobility demands of growing communities.
APTA says its surface transportation reauthorization priorities focus on maintaining and expanding the public transportation network, and represents a commitment to growing jobs, supporting communities, and providing expanded mobility options.
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SOURCE: APTA
