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COMMENTARY

Make Your Voice Heard for Public Transportation

BY J. BARRY BARKER, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
Chair, APTA Legislative Committee

With yet another short-term transportation funding plan about to expire, members of Congress, the administration and national media are focusing more than usual on how to fix a broken system.   APTA's Legislative Conference, now in its 40th year, presents the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this timing and make the case for public transportation and a long-term, robust bill. The clock is ticking, with the current funding plan, known as MAP-21, set to expire on May 31. Our underfunded system can't begin to meet the backlog of existing needs let alone address future demands. Against this backdrop, the president highlighted investment in transportation in his State of the Union address in February and backed up his words with a budget proposal calling for a six-year plan with increased funding, including for public transportation.

DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, on road trips and online, is a champion of a long-term funding bill. Meanwhile, members of Congress, while not all on the same page about solutions or even if public transportation should be included in the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), are considering funding options for the future.

We have an opportunity now to make a difference on behalf of all the people who depend on us to get where they need to go and to access all that life has to offer. Public transit--through rail, bus, vanpool, paratransit and other services--is a vital component of our nation's transportation network. Where public transportation goes, community grows.

Through your voices and actions, we can drive home the importance of public transportation for job growth, a cleaner environment and a better quality of life in urban and rural communities throughout the country. You can make the case by reaching out to your congressional representatives and their staffs. Let them know the impact public transportation has in their districts, the stories of the people, businesses and social service agencies that depend on public transportation for jobs, healthcare, education and a better life.

Let's make a strong, effective case for a long-term, fully funded transportation bill that will put public transportation on solid ground and help our communities grow and thrive.

As leaders of public transportation networks that combined provided 10.7 billion trips in 2013, we recognize the threat of the impending HTF revenue shortfall and the challenges of finding additional revenues.

A recent report from the National Economic Council and the President's Council of Economic Advisers underscores the need for investment: Sixty-five percent of American roads are in less than good condition, 25 percent of bridges require significant repair and 45 percent of Americans lack access to public transit.

The lack of sufficient, reliable funding has dealt a blow to our nation's infrastructure, the backbone of our economy--roads, bridges and public transportation.

The Band-Aid approaches to transportation funding in recent years have hurt our economic competitiveness and quality of life while demand for public transit is growing. The 10.7 billion trips taken in 2013 was the highest ridership number in 57 years. About 60 percent of trips are people going to and from jobs, underscoring public transportation's important role as an economic lifeline.

Public transportation results in fewer cars on the roads and reduced congestion, which means our highway system can operate more efficiently. According to the latest report from the Texas Transportation Institute, without public transit, drivers would have suffered an additional 865 million hours of delays.

For people with low incomes or disabilities and many seniors, public transportation may be their only lifeline. As our population continues to age, the demand for our services will continue to grow. Meanwhile, younger people are driving less and desiring public transportation instead of car ownership.

Continued, short-term funding that leaves resources flat or reduced will prevent public transportation from making needed upgrades for a state of good repair and hamper cash-strapped state and local governments in their ability to plan and complete major projects.

While fares coupled with state and local funding pay for more than 80 percent of the $61 billion invested each year in public transit, federal funding is crucial for capital and operating expenses in systems of all sizes.

Please urge enactment of a new multi-year authorization bill that provides dedicated funding for the HTF to pay for current and future needs. Legislation for an integrated network of intercity passenger rail services, with dedicated revenues, is also needed.

APTA member voices--all of us together, including businesses and agency members--need to be heard.

At this year's conference, take the time to meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Bring your stories from your communities, and stress the importance of a long-term and sustainable transportation program.

Back home, engage your passengers and community partners in getting our message heard. The Stand Up for Transportation Day on April 9 is an excellent opportunity for community engagement around the importance of transportation, including with local elected officials and members of Congress. We can't continue down the road we've been on--short-term funding that leaves us struggling to keep equipment in good repair while hampering planning and growth.

Public transportation is vital for the economic, social and environmental health of our cities and our nation. Now, while the timing is right, we need all your voices heard for a long-term transportation bill that our passengers and the country need and deserve.

This "Commentary" section features different points of view from various sources to enhance readers' broad awareness of themes and views that affect public transportation.

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