March 5, 2003
The Honorable Jim Nussle
Chairman
House Committee on the Budget
309 Cannon 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 as the Committee works to develop the FY 2004
Congressional Budget Resolution.
APTA has developed specific TEA 21 reauthorization
funding recommendations developed by an industry-wide Reauthorization
Task Force which met for over two years. APTA respectfully requests
that the FY 2004 Congressional Budget Resolution provide for continued
growth of the federal transit and highway programs. We urge the
Committee to provide no less than $50 billion in budget authority
in FY 2004 for the federal transit and highway programs.
Thanks in part to the federal investment in the
transit infrastructure under TEA 21, public transportation ridership
has grown dramatically in recent years. Americans are using transit
at numbers not seen in forty years, with ridership growth of more
than 22% over a five-year period. Despite this progress, transportation
experts agree that investment has not kept pace with the increasing
demand for public transportation. According to a recent study by
the economic consulting firm of Cambridge Systematics, transit investment
should average more than $43 billion a year between 2004 and 2009
to improve conditions and service in the nation's transit systems.
Public transportation is a key component of an
effective and integrated transportation infrastructure that is the
underpinning of a healthy economy, facilitating the movement of
goods and people in every community. Federal investment in transit
capital also benefits the many businesses that produce goods and
services for the public transportation industry, and creates jobs
as new projects are built and existing systems are modernized. As
the demand for public transportation service continues to grow in
urban, suburban and rural communities, we must begin to address
that demand.
We appreciate your consideration of our views.
If you have additional questions, please have your staff contact
Rob Healy of my staff at (202) 496-4811, or rhealy@apta.com,
or Tom Yedinak at (202) 496-4865, or tyedinak@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William W. Millar
President
WWM/cbo
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