Statement by William W. Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on the Release of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission Report "Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation"

APTA Strongly Agrees Urgent Action Is Needed to Address Funding Shortfalls Threatening America’s Public Transportation and Highway Infrastructure

“The report released today by the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission is sobering, yet it contains strong recommendations to the Congress. It warns of the enormous and growing gap between current transportation revenues and the investment levels needed in the nation’s public transportation and highway systems to restore vibrancy to the American economy. All levels of government—federal, state, regional, and local—must increase their financial investment in transportation to overcome the current shortfall, and the federal government must take a strong role in the process. This will require both an immediate and long-term response. Increased investment in transportation infrastructure can and should be the leading way to re-energize the economy with jobs, productivity, growth, and competitiveness. APTA congratulates the Commission on enumerating various solutions to this issue.”

According to the Commission report, the nation is investing only about 35 percent of what is needed to maintain and improve the surface transportation system. To improve the system, the total annual investment needed is $165 billion for highways and $49 billion for transit. The associated annual federal funding requirement is $96 billion for public transit and highways combined, leaving an annual federal shortfall of $64 billion.

“While ever mindful of the long-term financial reforms and changes needed, the Commission also addressed critical short-term issues, including the need to restore the purchasing power of the federal gas tax, which has not been adjusted since 1993. Simply put, the Commission got it right. American must invest more in its infrastructure,” said Millar. “I want to congratulate the members of the Commission, who come from extraordinarily diverse backgrounds, for their fine and thoughtful work to reach consensus on these difficult issues,” he added.