In testimony March 23 before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Administrator Peter M. Rogoff of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) stressed the economic and environmental importance of public transportation as he explained the administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 FTA request for $10.8 billion--$67 million more than the FY 2010 enacted level.

Rogoff described FTA’s priorities as “bringing bus and rail transit infrastructure to a state of good repair in order to provide more efficient and reliable public transportation while building new transit systems in high-growth areas of the country.” He said that the budget item conforms to the priorities of President Barack Obama and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, including initiatives to promote livable, sustainable communities.

Regarding issues of transit rail safety, the administrator noted that the budget request includes $24.1 million for a new Rail Transit Safety Oversight Program and an additional $5.5 million to fund additional employees in FTA’s new and expanded Office of Safety.

As part of the effort to bring the nation’s transportation infrastructure to a state of good repair, the FY 2011 budget merges and expands the Bus and Bus Facilities and the Fixed Guideway Modernization programs into a new Bus and Rail State of Good Repair Fund at a level of $2.9 billion, 8 percent above the combined programs’ FY 2010 level of funding.

The budget proposal also includes $4.6 billion by formula for capital improvements to transit systems in urbanized areas; $545.1 million for capital, and in some instances operating, assistance in small urban and rural areas; and $1.8 billion for FTA’s Capital Investment Grants—New Starts and Small Starts.

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