OF THE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
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May 23, 2001
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Presented by
William W. Millar
President
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 496-4800
APTA is a nonprofit international association of over 1,400 public and private member organizations including transit systems and commuter rail operators; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. Over ninety percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA members.
INTRODUCTION
Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to testify before the
Subcommittee today on congestion. It is no news to anyone that congestion is getting worse
in the United States. We are approaching an impending capacity crisis, where demand
threatens to overwhelm our existing transportation systems—highways, airports, and
transit systems. From our smallest rural communities to our largest metropolitan regions,
the symptoms are everywhere — familiar to residents and commuters alike.
The most serious congestion growth has occurred in our densely
populated metropolitan regions. Because these are the economic engines that drive our
economy, congestion is more than a problem for commuters. It negatively affects our
economic vitality and productivity. It is therefore imperative that we confront the
congestion problem for not just its effect on our quality of life, but also for its impact
on our economy and energy consumption. And it’s not just in our big cities. According
to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), even our smaller communities — those
urban areas with less than one million people — are feeling the effects. In fact, the
average annual delay per person quintupled in these areas between 1982 and 1999.
Why Balanced Transportation Matters
A balanced transportation system is valuable to society in many ways.
By facilitating the efficient movement of people and goods, we are able to remain a
thriving nation. Through the commitment of federal investment from Congress, the U.S. has
one of the best transportation systems and one of the strongest economies in the world.
But the coming capacity crisis can and will affect both the economy and our transportation
system. As Transportation Secretary Mineta recently remarked, "congestion and delay
not only waste our time as individuals, they also burden our businesses and our entire
economy with inefficiency and higher costs."
Nor should the impact of congestion on our quality of life be
underestimated. In recent testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee, Secretary Mineta repeatedly expressed concern about the effects increasing
congestion has in that regard. "The American people want communities where they can
run errands without always relying on cars," Mineta said, "and where children
can walk or bike to school safely." Now more than ever, steadily growing congestion
is causing people to seek alternative forms of transportation for their commute to work,
to complete errands, make health care visits, and to get to and from sports and
entertainment events. While there is no simple answer to the looming capacity crisis, we
think it is clear that increased public transportation is an important part of the overall
solution.
Transit: A Critical Part of the Answer
If we are to effectively address the problem, both highways and transit
must work together. According to the Texas Transportation Institute’s 2001 Urban
Mobility Study, congestion is growing in areas of every size, often despite committed
efforts to expand road capacity.
The solution, according to TTI, is a diverse set of options. Studies
clearly show that Americans want transportation choices. In its companion analysis to the
TTI study, the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) evaluates the congestion
problem using a formula called the Congestion Burden Index (CBI). This is sometimes also
called the misery index. The CBI combines TTI’s measure of rush-hour traffic, the
Travel Rate Index, with figures available for the percentage of commuters in a community
who have no alternative to driving to work in that congestion. According to this analysis,
STPP concludes that "the presence of transit service makes a significant difference
in the number of residents who are subject to driving in congested conditions."
Moreover, "in places with more transit service, a smaller portion of the population
drives to work each day, lowering overall exposure to congested conditions." The STPP
suggests that officials should "emphasize providing transportation choice..."
Transit Ridership Going Up, Up, and Up
Transit ridership is up dramatically. Thanks in part to the federal
commitment to increased investment in transit capital infrastructure under the
Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA 21), increased use of the
commuter benefit tax provision, and a healthy economy, Americans used public
transportation 9.4 billion times in 2000. Over the last five years, transit ridership has
grown by 21%. This represents the highest transit ridership in 40 years and is greater
than growth in vehicle miles traveled and passenger air miles over the same period. We
appreciate what TEA 21, and its annual funding in the appropriations process, has meant
for our industry. Nevertheless, there are significant unmet needs in the public
transportation sector. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that $17 billion
needs to be invested each year just to maintain and improve transit conditions and
performance. Since this estimate is based on an annual transit ridership growth rate of
only 1.9%, actual needs are even greater.
Faced with the challenges of the coming capacity crisis, increased
investment in federal highway and transit programs is more important than ever. The recent
growth in vehicle miles traveled and transit ridership is unlike that of the last several
decades, and projections into future decades only call for more of the same. We need
foresight to adequately address future needs for transportation infrastructure
improvements. In the case of transit, especially new transit rail and commuter systems,
the planning, financing, and construction process is normally measured in years, not
months.
Demand for Transit Going Through the Roof
Even within our nation’s transit systems, we are experiencing a
capacity crunch similar to congestion on the highway system. Though the federal transit
program is currently funded at the guaranteed levels under TEA 21, system expansions and
new systems cannot keep pace with the steadily growing public demand. Requests for bus and
bus facility grants, and for new rail starts far exceed available funding.
Here in Washington, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA), opened five new stations on the Green Line in mid-January, and on the very first
day of weekday service, ridership exceeded Metro’s six-month projections. This story
is not unusual, either. Across the country, new systems and extensions are operating at or
beyond projections in the first days of service. Transit systems across the country are
struggling to put additional buses and trains into service to meet demand.
In addition to the need to add buses and trains to meet increased
ridership demand, systems such as BART in San Francisco are undertaking efforts to
increase the capacity of their core systems. Beyond the obvious need to provide additional
track capacity and flexibility at bottlenecks, this involves improvements to station
entrances, parking facilities, fare vending and collection equipment, and new technologies
such as the state-of-the-art Advanced Automatic Train Control system that allows more
trains to move over track in a shorter time. Similarly, a recent Washington Post article
describes how WMATA Orange and Blue line trains coming into Washington have only one line
from Rosslyn, yet Metro foresees strong growth in downtown D.C. Metro ridership. There is
simply no room for growth absent significant investment. This situation would only get
worse with the addition of rail service to Tysons Corner and Dulles Airport. The story is
the same in smaller communities, as well. In short, transit must be able to offer
high-quality service in order to meet the expectations of commuters who want
transportation choices, and that requires increased infrastructure investment.
Transit-Oriented Development Yields Dividends
Mr. Chairman, we’re not just talking about more buses or more
trains, but rather about ways to improve the way we live. If we devote the time and
resources now, investments in transit-oriented development can yield efficient, thriving
communities with rail transit and bus hubs at their core. In cities across America, rail
corridors have given rise to vibrant belts of retail, business, and residential
development.
Transit rail lines – both light rail and heavy rail – can
provide a nucleus for high-density urban growth, giving workers the option to live near
jobs, replacing congested highway miles with transit trips and easy walking distances. In
Portland, Oregon, planning of the Orenco Station brought together representatives from
city agencies, the transit system, and local citizens, with planners and architects. The
Orenco Station area includes more than 80,000 square feet of retail with second-floor
residential space, 400 single-family townhomes, 1400 apartments, two public parks, and
public artwork displays. As a result, more than $2.4 billion has been invested in new
development within walking distance of the light rail lines. The Ballston Corridor in
northern Virginia is another example of the development that has followed rail investment
in this region. Along five stops on Metro’s Orange Line, restaurants, retail shops,
high-rise apartment and business complexes have transformed the area into a high-density
mixed-use corridor.
A recent Wall Street Journal article called attention to such
investment, noting that "as traffic clogs freeways, transit-oriented development is
gaining momentum—even in car-crazy Los Angeles. Spurred by projections of new
ridership and revenue, transit agencies across the country are teaming up with government
entities and private companies to revitalize neighborhoods around stations in cities and
suburbs they serve." While the concept of transit villages is not new, Boston, New
York, Cleveland, and Chicago have been transit-oriented cities for years, a recent rebirth
has taken hold in many cities. Even with recent slowdowns in the economy, contractors and
developers report that they can barely keep up with demand for these attractive urban
settings that generally increase local housing value, produce higher property tax
revenues, and attract new business investment.
Congestion and Its Relevance to Energy
Congestion obviously has an impact on the use of energy, and we believe
public transportation can play a critical role in the national energy policy now being
taken up by Congress. Each time a person chooses public transportation to commute to and
from work, it makes a contribution to our country’s conservation effort and reduces
our reliance on imported energy. For example, if 1,000 solo commuters choose to leave
their cars at home and commute on existing transit service for a year, the nation reduces
gas consumption by 273,000 gallons. When commuters choose driving alternatives, they help
decrease highway bottlenecks, improve the quality of our air, and reduce excess gasoline
consumption. It is important that commuters who are willing to consider using an alternate
means to get to and from work each day have a transit alternative—which many
Americans do not have—and that is why increased federal investment in surface
transportation infrastructure is so important. Studies show that those communities that
have high quality public transportation use less energy than those who do not have quality
public transportation.
And let’s not forget what we can do with good investment in
technology. The recently released Administration energy proposals cite the
Administration’s commitment to investing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
as a way to reduce congestion and fuel consumption. Think of what investment in traveler
information and navigation systems, electronic toll collection, and smart card technology
can mean in terms of reduced congestion and fuel consumption.
Mr. Chairman, last week I wrote to the Congressional leadership, urging
them to consider the following legislative initiatives as part of a comprehensive energy
policy:
- Provide fully authorized funding for transit capital investment under the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21). For FY 2002, $7.7 billion is
authorized. Increased investment can make transit available to the many Americans who do
not now have access to it.
- Oppose efforts to eliminate or reduce the tax on federal motor fuels. This would be the
worst time to reduce our commitment to investment in surface transportation
infrastructure, particularly since public transportation plays a key role in energy
conservation goals, jobs, and economic development.
- Provide the same incentives in federal tax law for transit and vanpools that are
available for parking. Enact bipartisan legislation (S. 217/H.R. 318) to increase the
monthly limit on tax free fringe benefits for commuters who use transit or vanpools to get
to work. This would set the limit for transit at the level provided for commuters who
drive to work and park.
- Attract private investment to expand transportation options by allowing public/private
partnerships to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance transit capital projects.
Mr. Chairman, these are only some of the initiatives that public
transportation could bring to a comprehensive energy policy.
Conclusion
Congestion in America is a serious problem with significant national
implications. It affects productivity in the workplace, quality of life, and the way we
use and conserve scarce natural resources. Moreover, it threatens to impair our
nation’s economic strength in the long run.
Public transportation has a critical role to play in congestion relief
and delivers an enormous return on your federal investment. In short, we urge Congress to
consider a range of important measures that promote surface transportation infrastructure
investment. Mr. Chairman, that concludes my remarks. I would be pleased to answer any
questions you may have.
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