General managers from more than 40 public transit agencies recently sent letters to members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees expressing support for restoring funding for the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) to pre-FY 2012 levels. The letters support authorization of the next surface transportation legislation.

The letters were signed by TCRP Oversight and Project Selection Committee Chair Sherry Little, among others.

On a related matter, APTA ­President & CEO Michael ­Melaniphy, officials from the North American ­Transit Services Association, and ­members of the APTA Standards Development and Oversight Council sent a letter to members of the House and ­Senate Appropriations committees urging them to fund FTA’s Technical Assistance and Standards Development Program at the level ­authorized in MAP-21.

The letter stated that the public transportation industry contributes approximately $600,000 annually to the standards program but federal support is vital to continuing the projects and supporting their development and use.