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March 30, 2012

NEWS HEADLINES

House, Senate Pass 90 Day SAFETEA-LU Extension

On March 29, the House passed a 90 day extension of SAFETEA-LU. The extension passed by a vote of 266 to 158 with 37 Democrats voting in favor and 10 Republicans voting against it. This bill was forwarded to the Senate which passed it by unanimous consent thus advancing it to the White House for approval before the expiration on March 31. For more details see APTA's Legislative Alert.

APTA members should continue to call their members of Congress and urge immediate action on a well-funded, multi-year, multi-modal authorization that can go to conference and the president within the next 90 days.

Report: Riding Public Transportation Saves Individuals on Average $10,120 a Year
The monthly APTA Transit Savings Report for March showed continued savings for public transit riders over driving a car. Riders of public transportation saved $844 in March and $10,120 annually. This includes the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle based on the March 26, 2012 average national gas price of $3.90 per gallon-- as reported by AAA.

SAVE THE DATE

Have you registered yet for the Bus Conference in Long Beach, CA? Early registration closes today for the May 6-9 conference.

While registering make sure to sign up for the business member networking breakfast. April 16 is the last day to be listed in the breakfast program.

IN THE MEDIA

NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority is reinstituting the Poetry in Motion program after a four-year hiatus. Between 1992 and 2008, excerpts of poetry appeared in overhead advertising spaces and in the new iteration it will expand to eye level square poster wells, animated sequences added to MTA’s “On the Go!’, and the backs of select MetroCards.

Sometimes the smallest favor for another can mean more that you ever expected. Riverside Transit Agency Driver Paul Charles did a small thing for one of his riders reuniting her with a lost purse. While it only took him a second to find it, the service was invaluable to Joy Demsky who happened to have $767 in her purse when she lost it. This is not the first standout moment for Charles. He has been recognized for seven years of safe driving, commended for excellent service and even has donated his earned leave to fellow employees on extended leave for illness.

Salem State University students had multiple reasons to go green this St. Patricks Day. Students on the campus took part in the "Go Green for Public Transportation" campaign to protect public transit in the state of Massachusetts. They organized a 'flash mob', gathered photo petitions, and used social media to show elected officials what public transportation means to them.