The U.S. House of Representatives voted Jan. 28 in favor of the economic recovery bill. This vote was preceded by the adoption of an amendment to increase transit funding from $9 billion to $12 billion, sponsored by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Michael McMahon (D-NY). The amendment will appropriate an additional $1.5 billion for transit formula funding and $1.5 billion for the New Starts program. The bill also includes $1.1 billion for high-speed rail and intercity rail projects. [More]

As hundreds of thousands of people poured into Washington, DC, on Inauguration Day, area public transit agencies more than met this unprecedented transportation challenge. With attendance estimated at 1.8 million—the largest ever on the Washington Mall—three of the region’s public transit agencies reported extremely high ridership. The highest total was set by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which provided nearly 1.5 million trips, including 1.1 million by rail, 423,000 by bus, and 1,721 by MetroAccess paratransit. Photo: Getty Images [More]

In a time of economic downturn, good financial news is hard to come by. So the announcement by the Federal Transit Administration of three Full Funding Grant Agreements will provide both a boost to the economies of Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Denver and dramatically enhanced public transportation access to the residents of those areas. [More]

For the first time, representatives of passenger and freight rail, public transportation, and environmental organizations have combined “to make sure people are aware of the benefits of rail,” said Anne Canby, the group’s spokesman. [More]

“Public transportation investment, energy-efficient land use policies, and other strategies that promote transportation choices are proven ways to reduce emissions from the transportation sector,” said Fred Hansen, general manager of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon in Portland, when he testified at a Jan. 27 hearing before the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. [More]

Copies of the Final Report of APTA’s TransitVision 2050 Task Force and accompanying DVD – the culmination of nearly two years of effort – will be distributed soon to all APTA member designees. [More]

When you think of public transportation working in clock-like precision, think Swiss. Public transportation accounts for 19 percent of all trips in Switzerland; it is a very appreciated and successful mode of transport used not only in the big cities, but also to connect small towns and villages. [More]

The appointment of Matthew Welbes as Executive Director of the Federal Transit Administration – the senior-most non-political slot available in the agency – marks the return of a position last held in the early 1980s. [More]

AMHERST, MASS.—The federal government is giving General Motors, Ford and Chrysler $25 billion in low-interest loans, and the companies are asking for up to $25 billion more. These same companies have spent millions of dollars lobbying against federal fuel-economy standards and are suing to overturn the emissions standards imposed by California and other states. In exchange for the loans, Congress should first insist that the automakers stop fighting these standards. But it should also make sure that better outcomes will result from these billions than just fuel-efficient cars. [More]

These are challenging times for public transit.

Last summer, volatile fuel prices drew commuters in droves to buses and trains, pushing service to the limit in some regions. Now, with the economy in a downward spiral, not only must aging roads, bridges, and other connectors compete for limited funding – forcing rural and urban stakeholders at times to square off in a political tug-of-war – but other areas such as education, public safety, and healthcare are also fighting for scarce dollars.

Until the economy improves, this battle over financial resources is not the sort of problem that gets better over time. It's happening throughout the country; here is how one state met the challenge facing public transportation head-on. [More]

In September of 2008, Regional Transit Service Inc. (RTS), the largest subsidiary of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), lowered its fare to a price last seen in 1991: from $1.25 to just $1. [More]

In January 2008, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, or Houston Metro, implemented the Q Card “smart card” system in conjunction with the agency’s first change in fare policies in 14 years. Within six weeks, daily revenue collections grew significantly. [More]

The year ahead will be one of challenge and opportunity. The economic challenges we are all experiencing will be offset in part by a renewed focus on public transit and infrastructure renewal that we expect will open the floodgates of federal support for worthy public transit projects. [More]

Clark Campbell, 86, a bus driver in Winston-Salem, NC, for more than 62 years, died Dec. 30, 2008, following a lengthy illness. [More]

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Transportation Security Administration will allocate $600,000 to fund the Public Transit Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) during Fiscal Year 2009. While the funding of ISAC is not new, this will be the first year the money comes from DHS. [More]

APTA has offered the TransITech Conference over the last decade; its hallmark has been innovative sessions sprinkled with “wiz-bang” technology demos and a robust vendor exhibition. This year’s conference, Feb. 18 to 20 in Toronto, will continue the conference’s trendsetting style, offering three brand new sessions as well as sessions on building a better business case and return on investment; technology as a revenue producer; making the most of existing investment; and creating better communication with customers. [More]