Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation
Testimony on Department of Transportation/FTA Funding
INTRODUCTION
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) appreciates the
opportunity to submit testimony on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 Department of Transportation
and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.
APTA's 1,400 public and private member organizations serve the public
by providing safe, efficient, and economical public transportation service, and by working
to ensure that those services and products support national energy, environmental,
community, and economic goals. APTA member organizations include transit systems and
commuter railroads; design, construction, and finance firms; product and service
providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of
transportation. More than ninety percent of the people who use public transportation in
the U.S. and Canada are served by APTA member systems.
Public Transportation and TEA 21
During the past five years, increased appropriations for the federal
transit program, authorized under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA
21), have been critical in assisting the public transportation industry address mobility
issues around the country. We appreciate what the legislation, and its annual funding
through the appropriations process, has meant for our industry. Public transportation
ridership is growing, the demand for new transit projects and extensions continues, and
Americans are including public transportation as an option in planning their daily
activities. Freedom of mobility is critical to the spirit of America, and public
transportation is an important component of that mobility. Therefore, APTA urges the
Subcommittee in its FY 2003 Transportation Appropriations bill to fund the federal transit
program at the full $8.2 billion level authorized in TEA 21.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RIDERSHIP AT RECORD LEVELS
More and more people are choosing public transportation every day, and
the numbers speak for themselves. Thanks in part to Congress' investment in the federal
transit program, public transportation is experiencing a renaissance. Americans used
public transportation a record 9.5 billion times in 2001, and transit ridership has grown
23% since 1995, according to preliminary ridership figures. This represents the highest
level in more than 40 years. Over the last six years, transit use has grown faster than
the population (4.5%), highway use (11.8%), and domestic air travel (12%). In 2000,
ridership was up in all modes and in all parts of the country. In the light rail category,
Denver (41%), San Jos (34%), and New Jersey Transit (38%) experienced tremendous
ridership success. New light rail service in Salt Lake City is exceeding estimates and was
a big success during the recent Olympic Games. The commuter rail operations in Dallas
(39%) and in Northern Virginia (20%) have had continued success. Heavy rail ridership
increased by more than 7% in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, and it
rose by nearly 4% in Chicago and by almost 13% in San Francisco. Bus ridership was up in
large cities like Washington, D.C. (8.4%) and New York City (6.7%), as well as in cities
across the country like Lexington, KY (5.7%) and Birmingham, AL (5.7%). Although the 2001
transit ridership numbers will not be finalized until later in April, preliminary
indications are that, despite the economic downturn, transit ridership continued its
upward climb with 2% growth over 2000 levels.
Demand Soaring in all Modes and in all Communities
The consistent, annual ridership growth in public transportation sends
the message loud and clear: people are leaving their cars at home and using transit to
meet their mobility needs. As new systems open doors and existing systems expand their
service, demand is exceeding the speed at which new service can be funded and implemented.
Now more than ever, growing congestion is causing people to seek alternative forms of
transportation to commute to work, complete errands, make health care visits, and to get
to and from sports and entertainment events. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance
that we sustain the national commitment to an integrated transportation system by
adequately investing in transit.
INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SHOWS RESULTS
Recent transit ridership increases are a direct result of the increased
annual investment in the federal transit program. TEA 21 authorized $41 billion for public
transportation, and guaranteed $36 billion, a significant increase over previous funding
levels. This funding increase benefited transit systems in both urban and rural areas. In
2002, the rural program is funded at $223.4 million, a 95 percent increase over the 1997
funding of $115 million. This compares with a 65 percent increase in the overall growth of
the federal transit program over the same period. One of the keys to this growth has been
the transit funding guarantee provision, which has been instrumental in insuring that
transit funding has increased on a consistent, annual timetable.
The increased transit and highway investments under TEA 21 have been
put to work wisely and expeditiously on an array of transportation projects and
improvements. Nearly 200 new or expanded rail or bus or rapid transit projects were
authorized for 88 areas in more than 40 states. TEA 21 investments have enriched the lives
of Americans by giving them mobility and the freedom to do what they want and need to do,
and created real success stories. To capture some of these success stories, APTA and the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials jointly published a
report on TEA 21, "Money at Work." We would be pleased to make copies
available for the Subcommittee.
Transit Plays Key Role in National Emergencies
Perhaps one of the best illustrations of the benefits of the investment
in the transit program was the role that transit played during the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks. On September 11, citizens in New York and Washington relied on public
transportation to evacuate from the urban core. In New York, hundreds of thousands of
citizens were evacuated quickly and without injury. Here in Washington, the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority proved its value in running the equivalent of two rush
hours back-to-back and moving thousands of citizens out of harms way. This same story was
true all across the country as transit systems helped evacuate citizens from shut down
airports and center cities. We have published a report in this regard, "America Under
Threat: Transit Responds to Terrorism," that we would be pleased to share with the
Subcommittee.
INCREASED PUBLIC TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IS NEEDED
As noted, Madam Chairman, public transportation delivers significant
benefits and transit ridership is up. Even though highway and transit investment has
increased, transportation experts agree that our annual capital investments still fail to
keep pace with the increasing needs for public transportation. Transit industry needs,
from all sources, for capital, planning, and research will average $42 billion per year,
between FY 2004 through FY 2009, according to a recent APTA Transit Needs Synthesis
Report. The report summarizes existing needs estimates from APTA, the Federal Transit
Administration, and the Community Transportation Association of America. While the $42
billion estimate reflects potential investments in an unconstrained environment, it
identifies the demand for new rail starts, buses and related facilities, rail
modernization, core capacity improvements, preventive maintenance, paratransit, and other
needs.
Additional reports addressing transit needs are expected in the next
several months, including the Department of Transportation (DOT) Conditions and
Performance Report, which will detail the investments needed for maintenance and
improvement of the nation’s highways and transit systems. The American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) "Bottom Line" Report
will also assess both highway and transit needs. APTA has been working with the Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) to support the efforts of both DOT and AASHTO.
If current trends continue, over the next 15 years alone, highway
travel is expected to increase by 40% and transit use by 60%. In order to accommodate such
growth, it is critical to maximize the federal investment in all forms of surface
transportation, including public transportation.
Infrastructure in Critical Need of Repair
Overworked bus and rail fleets paired with rapidly increasing ridership
have taken their toll over the years, and recent assessments of the nation’s
infrastructure are disconcerting. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released
its 2001 Report Card for America's Infrastructure last March, and the news for transit was
not good in terms of the state of the transit infrastructure. The report card gave transit
a "C-" in 2001, down from its "C" in the prior report card in 1998.
The ASCE cited the DOT 1999 Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit
report, in which DOT recommends an annual investment of $17 billion in order to improve
both conditions and performance of transit. Most importantly, the ASCE urges the full
funding of TEA 21 at its authorized level, $8.2 billion for FY 2003.
In addition, the National League of Cities report entitled "Six
Critical Threats to Our Cities: Keys to Unlocking America’s Future" lists the
areas most in need of attention in order to reinforce America’s prosperity. Among the
hazards is the nation’s aging infrastructure, and the NLC calls for the modernization
of the transportation infrastructure in order to build the quality of life that families
and businesses want and expect.
Voters Demanding More Transit
It's no wonder that so many American cities have recently voted to
start or expand light rail, commuter rail, or bus service in their communities. Just
recently, on March 5, in a California statewide election, voters overwhelmingly approved
Proposition 42, requiring that all state gasoline tax revenue be devoted to transportation
beginning in 2008. Under the provision, 20 percent of the gas sales tax funds will be used
for public transportation. Voters have supported recent transit initiatives in Pierce
County, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; Toledo, Ohio; Providence,
Rhode Island; King County, Washington, Houston, Texas, Glendale, Arizona, and in Portage
County, Ohio, among others.
The nation’s mayors also recognize the growing demand for public
transit. In February, at a meeting of more than 300 mayors from across the country, a
survey was released that showed that 80 percent of respondents agreed that the idea of
investment in light rail can reduce congestion by presenting a viable alternative to
driving.
ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET PROPOSAL
Madam Chairman, while we are pleased that the Administration's FY 2003
Budget proposes to honor the TEA 21 funding guarantees for public transportation, needs
studies indicate a clear and growing need for investment in transit infrastructure. Thus,
we urge you to fund the FY 2003 program at the highest possible level.
New Freedoms Initiative
The Administration’s FY 2003 budget request includes a New
Freedoms Initiative, designed to help Americans with disabilities by increasing access to
employment and daily community life. The program would include $100 million for grants for
alternative methods to promote access to transportation, and $45 million for a pilot
program to promote innovative transportation solutions for people with disabilities. While
APTA supports the Administration’s New Freedoms Initiative, it recommends that it be
financed with TEA 21 FY 2003 funds authorized to be appropriated over the guaranteed
amounts.
Federal Match for New Starts
The Bush Administration budget also proposes that, starting in 2004,
the federal match under the new fixed guideway and extensions program be reduced from its
current 80% to 50%. While we recognize the significant and growing demand for New Start
funding and the interest in allocating it carefully, we are concerned about the larger
transportation policy issue of a level playing field for all federal surface
transportation funds. If highway funds continue to be available at an 80 percent federal
match, and new start transit funds are available at 50 percent, it would seem that federal
policy contains a built in bias discouraging local decision makers from making independent
transportation decisions strictly on the basis of local needs, criteria, and the best
solution to local transportation problems. Rather than revising federal shares in an
attempt to spread the resource, we urge Congress to grow the program to accommodate the
clear demand for federal investments in our nation’s surface transportation
infrastructure.
Increased Funds are Required to Maintain ADA Compliance Standards
Since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990,
transit agencies have made significant progress in the effort to ensure that all forms of
public transportation are accessible to people with disabilities. According to an APTA
survey of 300 transit agencies, there were approximately 25,000 U.S. transit buses in 1993
that were not wheelchair accessible. In 2000, that number was less than 11,000. Similarly,
commuter rail operators reduced the number of non-accessible rail cars by more than half
over the same time period. However, as the population ages, the need for demand response
and paratransit service will continue to rise. Public investment for these services and
further on-vehicle lift, ramp, and station improvements must keep pace for transit to meet
mobility demands. In fact, the demand for paratransit services in particular is growing
and the resulting costs are rising significantly.
As ridership across the nation's small and large communities continues
to flourish, transit agencies struggle financially to meet the demand for additional
service for disabled and elderly passengers. Such services are already frequently
operating at capacity. We applaud the Administration's recognition—as demonstrated in
its New Freedoms Initiative—that people with disabilities are well served by expanded
mobility.
Job Access and Reverse Commute Program
In addition, APTA reaffirms the Federal Transit Administration’s
(FTA) assessment that the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program should be funded at the
fully authorized level of $150 million as provided in TEA 21. These programs not only get
people to jobs otherwise unavailable to them, but they provide America’s employers
with access to the services of thousands of new employees. We commend FTA on its outreach
efforts to date, and urge it to continue efforts to streamline the program
administratively and focus on increased program coordination at the federal, state, and
local levels.
Transit Security & FY 2002 Supplemental Request
Madam Chairman, as we conclude our views on the FY 2003 Transportation
Appropriations bill, we also want to take this opportunity to comment on the recent
submission by the Administration of its Emergency FY 2002 Supplemental Appropriations
Request. We mention in our testimony that transit played an important role during the
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington last year. We should also note that transit
agencies across the nation have made significant investments in security-related capital
in recent months. As the Subcommittee develops a FY 2002 Supplemental Appropriations bill,
we urge you to consider the investments in security enhancements made by public
transportation systems around the country.
CONCLUSION
Madam Chairman, public transportation ridership is at its highest point
in decades, and transit systems in our largest cities and small communities are doing
their best to keep up with growing demand. We are pleased with the sharp increases in
ridership, but it is taking its toll, and funds are needed to maintain and upgrade
existing systems. We urge Congress to help lead the ongoing renaissance of public
transportation and to support its many benefits, in communities of all sizes. Help us get
the job done! Public transportation delivers an enormous return on the federal
investment—it can provide freedom of mobility and a transportation choice for all
Americans. We urge the Subcommittee to fund the FY 2003 federal transit program at the
$8.2 billion authorized level.
APTA appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony on the development
of the FY 2003 Transportation Appropriations Act. We would be pleased to provide
additional information to assist you in your deliberations.
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