Public transportation in the well-deserved spotlight

Yesterday I spoke to members of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). These are the folks who brought you 10.2 billion transit trips in 2009. 10.2 billion. These are the folks whose work saves the average transit rider $9,215 every year.

Now, in February 2009, Congress passed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That's a big number, for sure, but it's worth pointing out that DOT was allotted only 7% of that amount to invest in transportation infrastructure that would stimulate the economy and generate jobs.

And of that 7% only about $8 billion was designated for transit. Yet, look at what we've been able to do with that funding.

Link Transit in Washington State adopted a cutting-edge technology for battery-powered, zero-emission circulator buses and charging stations.

And, all the way on the other side of the country, COAST Transit in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was able to purchase buses, reduce energy costs by upgrading facilities, and keep more workers on the payroll.

And in between, every single dollar of the Recovery Act funds assigned to the Federal Transit Administration has been allocated.

As APTA President William Millar said, "The facts are clear: public transportation infrastructure investment supports and creates good, quality green jobs.”

Well, that's the good news I was able to report yesterday to APTA. But there was more to talk about, and there are more problems to solve.

The economy has been--as I was quoted saying--lousy. Lousy for workers, lousy for public transit agencies. It was made clear to me yesterday that service cuts and fare increases have been the norm rather than the exception.

But it was also made clear to me that things would have been much worse without our Recovery Act efforts. So maybe that offers a clue to how DOT can help transit get through this rough ride.

That's why I told the APTA audience that I’m open to proposed legislation that would allow transit funds--historically reserved for capital projects--to be used for operating assistance.

But, if we do go down that road, we must find the right balance; we must maintain a state of good repair while ensuring the people who run our transit systems can be supported.

We have also evened the playing field by ending the nearly ten-year period of imbalanced funding criteria. Going forward, we are evaluating projects on a wide range of measures, including economic development, environmental sustainability, livability and congestion-relief.

And this year offers us the opportunity to address transit's future through the surface transportation reauthorization. As that process moves forward, we will continue to champion transit access, capital investment, and safety.

Maybe the biggest step we can take to help transit is providing $1 billion in additional discretionary funds for a wide range of capital transit and bus projects, clean-fuels projects, and planning needs.

Because, as I said on these pages yesterday, this DOT is striking a new balance between roads and rails, large wheels and small, waterways and pedestrian access.Yes, we are.

Comments

[Emelio DiSabato]

Sec. LaHood, thank you so much for your work and advocacy. I'm an organizer in Cleveland, and a carless citizen who relies on my bike and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority to commute. The GCRTA is due to implement a second round of cuts (after September's cuts) in a few weeks, and I'm trying to work with organizers and community members to find a way to respond. Your initiative to allow funds to move from Capital Projects to Operating Needs is laudable, but when can this happen? Will it be able to benefit RTA right away? Even if this initiative is legalized, we need more in Cleveland: the state of Ohio funds LESS THAN 3% of RTA's expenditures. It boarders on treachery. Please keep working to put more emphasis on alternative transportation, rather than cars.

[Tammi Diaz]

1. A Good Transit System has Frequent and Convenient Transportation for All.

2. A Good Transit System Helps Strengthen the Community.

3. A Good Transit System Helps Encourages People to Leave their Vehicles at Home and Help out our Environment.

4. A Good Transit System Helps Individuals become more Physically Fit.

5. A Good Transit System Helps Reduce Traffic Grid Lock.

6. A Good Transit System Helps Reduce the COSTS and NEED for Paratransit.

7. A Good Transit System Helps Reduce Road Construction.

8. A Good Transit System has Free Public Transit.

9. A Good Transit System Work on Barrier Free, Benches and Shelters.

10. A Good Transit System Helps Encourage People to take Public Transit to go Shopping, Helps Increase Sale Tax.

I am a Person with a Traumatic Brain Injury. I enjoy taking the Regular Fixed Route Bus System, its gives me more independence, I make New Friends. I am Paratransit approved I only need Paratransit once in a while, I want Affordable for the Individuals that really need it all the time, they also have Right Too.

[Michael E. Bailey]

Funding for transit operations is a critical point. That was one of the things brought out in the Southern California Transit Forum back in February. Without funding for operations, there will be major additional service cuts to fixed route bus and paratransit services. The OCTA is planning another 150,000 hour service cut in fixed route bus service without emergency operations funding. LAMetro is planning to cut fixed route service by at least 30% without operations funding. And Regional Transit in Sacramento is saying there will be big and deep cuts to its fixed route service. Operations funding is very important. At the same time, it is also important to balance operations funding with support of transit capitol funding. Capitol funding like converting buses to clean fuels is of critical importance, especially converting to hydrogen or all-electric power and using solar power to manufacture the hydrogen and to recharge the batteries on electric power buses. There are also the CNG and LNG options. We should moveaway from diesel altogether because new information is coming out by the California Air Resources Board, the EPA, and some important eastern universities that says diesel particulates in the air over freeways is increasing health problems in people who have to breathe this polluted air 2 or 3 hours a day. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Motorized Drum Dumpers]

Public transportation is used by number of people everyday and managing such services is huge task. To provide better and better transportation service government have to plan and spend money on it. Also, look after the other factors as well.