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| NEWS HEADLINES |
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| Mayors: Invest in Public Transportation Now |
Providing the keynote address at the Jan. 19 luncheon of the 79th Winter meeting of the U.S. Conference on Mayors, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) called himself “a strong advocate of mass transit.”
Mica was introduced by the organization’s Co-Chair of the High-Speed Intercity Rail Task Force, Buddy Dyer, who said: “I think he probably is the most knowledgeable person in the Congress on transportation issues.” The Conference on Mayors’ President, Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, in her remarks, said: “Reauthorization of the surface transportation law is a top priority for mayors.”
Mica asked the mayors for their help in passing a “six-year robust transportation bill for the nation.” Since he spoke, he has begun a series of listening sessions across the country to hear what the public has to say.
New Report Out
In its newly released report, The 2011 Metro Agenda for America, the U.S. Conference of Mayors lists sustainable transportation investments among its top priorities. Specific proposals include the ¬creation of a federal mode-neutral Metropolitan Congestion Program in the surface transportation authorization bill that would provide a direct federal partnership with local and private investments for the benefit of metropolitan areas; increased federal funding for transit bus and rail systems and dedicated funds for high-speed intercity passenger rail; creation of a federal state of good repair program to maintain and rehabilitate transportation infrastructure; and an emphasis on planning that integrates transportation with housing, environmental, and economic development while reducing traffic and carbon dioxide emissions.
“Our nation’s surface transportation system is broken,” the report states. “Because the nation has failed to invest in transportation infrastructure in metropolitan areas, families spend too much time in traffic and businesses cannot efficiently move their products to market. Rebuilding transportation infrastructure is a priority for mayors. It will create jobs and will ensure that metropolitan economies emerge from the recession, and, in turn, the nation’s economy.”
The complete text of the document is available online.
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