|
54 Lawmakers Sign Pro-Transit Tax Letter
A
bipartisan letter signed by 54 members of Congress was sent to the leaders of
the House Ways and Means Committee last week urging them to permanently restore
parity between transit and parking tax benefits. The letter is intended to spur the House
tax-writing committee into following the lead of the Senate Finance Committee,
which approved a package of tax extenders in July that included an increase in
the monthly transit benefit from $130 to $250.
In
a related action last week, the Broad Tax Extenders Coalition, a group of more
than 2,000 businesses, non-profits and community organizations, urged Congress to
“act immediately” to extend or make permanent several tax provisions that
expired at the end of 2014 – including the transit tax benefit.
Nearly Two-Thirds of Americans Would Use High-Speed Rail - APTA Survey
The
phrase “If you build it, they will come” clearly applies to high-speed
rail. According to an APTA-commissioned
survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Americans say they would be likely to
use high-speed trains if they were available today. Support increases to 67 percent when
respondents are informed about the cost- and time-saving benefits of this
modality.
The
survey, which was released on Sept. 24, also revealed that the public strongly
supports streamlining government regulations to promote real estate development
near high-speed rail routes. See all of
the results of the “High-Speed Rail in America 2015” survey here.
Public Transportation's Role in Meeting U.S. Energy Goals
At
a conference sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy, Melaniphy discussed how
the public transportation industry is  contributing to the goal of doubling U.S.
energy productivity in the next 15 years.
Together with the presidents of Clemson University and Texas Tech, the
CEO from Lime Energy and DOE officials, he made his remarks at the Accelerate
Energy Productivity 2030 conference last week.
In reminding
the audience that our industry needs a multi-year authorization, he said,
“Investing more in public transportation is an essential element to a
comprehensive national energy strategy … If we are going to continue to play an
increasingly vital role in energy policy, we need long-term resources."
 |
SAVE THE DATE |
|
|
Legislative Briefing at
APTA Annual Meeting
San Francisco
Only
nine days until the start of APTA’s 2015 Annual Meeting! One of the highlights will be the in-depth
Legislative Session on Oct. 6 featuring congressional staffers and APTA’s
government affairs professionals. Hear
the latest news from the experts.
|
IN THE NEWS |
|
|
The Unbreakable U.S. High-Speed Rail System
The Atlantic CITYLAB
MARTA Station Projects Will Lift Communities
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
|
NOTABLE & QUOTABLE |
|
|
"The American people know we need a better transportation system. They want it. Let's give it to them. ... Use the Highway Trust Fund as the tool it was intended to be to drive outcomes in America."
DOT
Secretary Anthony Foxx
Sept. 9, 2015
| 
