Passenger Transport Express - 01/07/2011 (Plain Text Version)

News Headlines

House Passes New Rule Jeopardizing Transportation Funding

Despite opposition from a coalition including APTA and other national organizations representing public transportation, highway users, road builders, and others, the House of Representatives on Jan. 5 voted to change House rules in a way that puts federal funds for transportation at risk.

The new rules package for the 112th Congress eliminates an existing point of order that prevents the House from taking up any legislation that would result in lower funding levels for transportation than those guaranteed in the authorization law. APTA will be working with Congress to restore the guarantees as we move forward in the authorization process.

New PIRG Report on Transportation Funding Myths

The U.S. Public Interest Group (PIRG) has released a report, Do Roads Pay for Themselves? Setting the Record Straight on Transportation Funding, that corrects several common misperceptions about how the nation's transportation system is funded. [return to top]

Save the Date

Anyone involved in marketing, communications, media relations, advertising, planning, research, service development, or customer service should register now for the 2011 APTA Marketing & Communications Workshop, Feb. 27-March 2, 2011, in San Diego. This conference is an intensive workshop focusing on all aspects of public transportation marketing and communications, including media relations, research, customer service, ridership initiatives, and best practices. [return to top]

Easter Seals Project ACTION is accepting applications for the 2011 Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative until Jan. 31. Ten coalitions around the nation, each comprising 15-25 community leaders, will participate in a year-long process to improve transportation options for people with disabilities, culminating in a two-day on-site event. For more information, see the Project ACTION web site. [return to top]

In the Media

The Bond Buyer reported on House T&I Committee Chairman John Mica's (R-FL) opposition to his party's anti-transportation rule change in the House.

CBS Marketwatch reported that China will invest $107 billion in its high-speed rail network in 2011 alone--extending its high-speed rail trackage to reach more than 8,000 miles.

NBC broadcast personality Lester Holt noted on The Today Show that during the recent snowstorms affecting the Northeast, he relied on public transportation for his commute to work when his driver failed to arrive.
[return to top]