Passenger Transport - 04/17/2015

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TO PLACE AN AD: E-mail the requested date(s) of publication to: ptads@apta.com. Mailing address is: Passenger Transport, 1666 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. Ad copy is not accepted by phone. DEADLINE: 3 p.m. EST, Friday, one week prior to publication date. INFORMATION: Phone (202) 496-4877.

Every seasoned public transit rider knows when it’s time to stand up. And that’s exactly what hundreds of thousands of transportation advocates and supporters did April 9. But this wasn’t to get ready for a station stop; it was to prevent a funding stop.

More than 360 entities from across the country—representing small, medium and large communities—participated in APTA’s Stand Up 4 Transportation Day, a nationwide, grassroots advocacy effort in support of long-term federal transportation funding. Public transit passengers and elected officials as well as business, community and transportation leaders took part in more than 150 events, from rallies at public transit stations and educational programs for students to tours of public transit facilities and manufacturing plants.

With time running out, social media was abuzz: #standup4publictransportation was the third highest trending topic in the U.S. that day. The current federal transportation funding bill, MAP-21, is set to expire May 31.

Stand Up 4 Transportation Day was the brain child of APTA Chair Phillip Washington, general manager and CEO of Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD). In that city, nearly 400 people joined RTD and its many partners, including the mayor, for a unity parade and rally as a part of the advocacy day’s festivities.

“I was thrilled to see that people from all walks of life in Denver and throughout America came together to tell their members of Congress that federal funding for public transportation is essential and they need to pass a long-term transportation bill,” Washington said. “This is a national movement and we are not going away. Congress needs to act now to pass long-term, sustainable transportation funding.”

As part of the day’s activities, APTA released a report that shows how lack of federal funding would cut public transportation budgets by 43 percent, resulting in an economic loss of $227 billion. This report was released during a national media call and at a Congressional staff briefing. In addition to Washington, participants on the call included APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy, Mayor Chris Koos of Normal, IL, Chairman and CEO of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Thomas Prendergast and Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation Polly Trottenberg.

APTA produced a new web-based tool that visually displays the costly impact a shutdown of the federal transit program would have by Congressional district. To read APTA’s analysis, go to www.apta.com.

Melaniphy noted, “The message is loud and clear. Americans want Congress to make transportation funding a priority and pass a multi-year, well-funded transportation bill. A long-term transportation bill is urgently needed to help our local and national economies grow and to provide crucial funding for public transportation infrastructure.” To see who participated and sponsored events in communities across the country, go to www.standup4transportation.org