Transit News
December 5, 2007
Virginia Miller
(202) 496-4816
vmiller@apta.com
(Download In Adobe PDF format)
According to media reports and statements by leading congressional officials this week, the Bush Administration will propose the elimination of all federal funding for public transit security in the next federal budget proposal for FY 2009.
"If this is true, this is an outrage," said American Public Transportation Association (APTA) William W. Millar. "Transit security is a national security issue and national security is the responsibility of the federal government. Why should public transportation riders, who take public transportation 34 million times each weekday, be treated as second class citizens?
"We strongly urge the Bush administration to not only include federal funding for public transit security, but to increase the amount for FY 2009," said Millar. "Just this summer, Congress did its part in voting, on a bipartisan basis, to authorize $3.4 billion for transit security over 4 years and President Bush signed this legislation in August. Zeroing out public transit security funding would be a reversal of public policy that would put millions of citizens at risk.
"Eliminating public transit security federal funding would have a devastating impact on the nation's public transportation systems' ability to secure their systems, and directly undercut Congress' efforts to provide resources for this purpose," concluded Millar. "I have sent a letter to OMB Director James Nussle today to convey my serious concern about this matter and request a meeting with him about the crucial need for federal security funding for America's public transportation systems."
To see the APTA letter sent to OMB Director James Nussle, go to: http://www.apta.com/government_affairs/letters/071205_nussle.cfm
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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.
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