“On behalf of the more than 1,500 members of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), I congratulate President-Elect Barack Obama on his historic win last night.

APTA members stand ready to work with President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden on revitalizing our economy; creating jobs; reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil; and combating climate change.

Coming from Chicago, a city with a large public transportation system, President-Elect Obama has seen firsthand the crucial role that public transportation has in creating jobs and economic development. Transportation studies show that $1 billion of federal investment creates about 35,000 jobs and APTA recently identified 559 public transportation “ready-to-go” projects, worth $8 billion.

Public transportation plays a critical role in reaching energy independence by saving 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline a year. Additionally, U.S. public transportation systems save 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year.

The U.S. public transportation industry looks forward to working with President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden who are strong advocates for public transportation.”