The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is encouraging Congress to make good on one of its most important New Year’s resolutions: supporting and creating jobs through public transportation investment.

APTA is mobilizing public transit agencies across the country to urge Congress to quickly pass a new jobs bill and invest at least $15 billion in public transportation.  To demonstrate the value of how the money would be used to create jobs, public transit agencies across the country are participating in a national grassroots effort from January 6-19 to remind Representatives and Senators while they are back in their congressional district or state to support investment in public transportation as a proven way to generate jobs and stimulate economic activity.  Additionally, increased investment in public transportation is an investment in jobs that will not disappear after the construction work is finished since public transportation fosters and creates additional jobs and development.

According to the “Economic Impact of Public Transportation,” a recent report by the Economic Development Research Group, for every $1 billion invested in public transportation, 36,000 jobs are supported and created.  Additionally, for every $1 invested in public transit, an average of $4 is generated in economic returns. In addition to a new jobs stimulus bill, with unemployment still hovering near 10 percent nationally, the need for greater federal funding of public transportation remains. APTA is calling on Congress to pass a new six year $123 billion transportation authorization bill that would create, support or sustain over 4.4 million new jobs. 
“We know that new jobs produced by funding for public transportation boost American workers in the sectors which have been hit hardest by the economic downturn, including construction and manufacturing,” said APTA President William Millar.  “Let’s get Americans back to work.”