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January 28, 2005
The Honorable Jim Nussle
Chairman
House Committee on the Budget
309 Canon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6065
Dear Chairman Nussle:
On behalf of the 1,500 member organizations of the American Public Transportation
Association (APTA), I write to express our views on investment needs for public
transportation infrastructure as your committee develops the Fiscal Year (FY)
2006 Budget Resolution.
APTA is aware of the focus on fiscal restraint and we appreciate that worthy
programs will be competing for scarce federal resources. However, we strongly
believe that increased federal investment in federal surface transportation
programs, including the federal transit program, is critical to spur economic
growth and development, create jobs, and provide basic mobility needs to millions
of Americans.
Broad bipartisan support for transportation programs was made clear last
year, when the Senate voted 76-21 and the House voted 357-65 to pass TEA 21
reauthorization bills that substantially increased federal investment for
transit and highway programs across America.
APTA believes that for any surface transportation bill to be a success in
helping improve our economy, reduce congestion and benefit all Americans,
it is important for Congress to make sufficient funds available through the
budget process. Under TEA 21, funding for surface transportation, including
transit, was guaranteed, including the general fund portion of the transit
program. These guarantees were preserved or supported in the TEA 21 reauthorization
bills passed in the House and Senate last year. These guarantees helped make
TEA 21 an unqualified success, as the continuity and reliability of funding
sped project completion and reduced the cost of providing a local match. With
this in mind, we urge you to support these funding guarantees in the FY 2006
Budget Resolution.
Transit enjoys bipartisan support because it helps advance
key national priorities. It helps to improve the economy by reducing highway
and road congestion, on which Americans wasted 3.5 billion hours, 5.7 billion
gallons of gas and $63 billion in time and fuel expenses in 2002 alone. To
address this growing problem, America needs to invest in transportation infrastructure.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donahue recently spoke in support of
passage of a "well-funded" surface transportation authorization
bill, noting that a modern and efficient transportation network is "absolutely
essential to the success of our economy and the well-being of our citizens."
In addition to reducing congestion, investment in the federal transit program
benefits the environment by reducing auto emissions; reduces fuel and energy
consumption; slows urban sprawl by encouraging high-density growth and urban
renewal; and provides mobility options for low-income workers, the elderly,
and persons with disabilities for whom driving is not an option. Theses benefits
are shared by all Americans, whether they live in urban, suburban or rural
areas, whether they use transit or not.
In short, we urge you to support a long-term, well-funded, fully-guaranteed
transportation reauthorization bill.
We thank you for your consideration of APTA's views. Should
you have questions about these or other issues please have your staff contact
Rob Healy of APTA's Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4811 or email
rhealy@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William W. Millar
President
WWM/cbo
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