February 12, 2003
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby
Chairman
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
SD-534 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6075
Dear Chairman Shelby:
As your Committee begins the process of rewriting the authorizing law for the federal transit program, which expires at the end of 2003 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), I want to convey the views of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) with regard to the importance of preserving and if possible expanding the federal investment in public transportation through the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund.
APTA’s recommendations for reauthorization of TEA 21 call for continued growth of the federal transit program, preservation of the funding guarantees, and improving program delivery. One of the most fundamental principles of our proposal is that trust fund resources continue to support transit and highway programs. This approach has been embodied in public policy since President Reagan signed the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act into law. That historic legislation increased the motor fuels taxes for the first time since the 1950’s, with one cent of the increase being used to fund the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund to support the federal investment in our nation’s public transportation infrastructure.
Over the past twenty plus years, all subsequent increases in federal motor fuel user fees have adhered to this 80/20 balanced approach to meeting surface transportation needs. This balanced approach is important from a public policy perspective, but it is also important for the highway/transit coalition it fosters, which allows advocates for surface transportation programs to work together to address critical unmet highway and transit infrastructure needs. Trust fund support for transit and highway elements of the program is also the basis for the funding guarantees of TEA 21, which have allowed transit agencies to better meet customer demand and resulted in a 22% increase in transit ridership between 1996 and 2001.
There is general consensus among the transportation community that the TEA 21 reauthorization debate should focus on evolutionary -- not revolutionary -- changes, principally, the need for increasing and protecting the federal investment in transit and highways.
Thank you for your leadership on addressing the nation’s transportation needs. I appreciate your consideration of our views, and look forward to working with you on reauthorization issues. If you have questions about this issue, please have your staff contact Rob Healy of my staff at (202) 496-4811, or rhealy@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William W. Millar
President
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