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The Honorable Richard C. Shelby
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. Senate
S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Vice Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. Senate
S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Susan M. Collins
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and Related Agencies
U.S. Senate
184 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Jack Reed
Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and Related Agencies
U.S. Senate
184 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, Chairman Collins, and Ranking Member Reed:

We greatly appreciate your bipartisan efforts to advance S. 2520, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act, 2020. Although S. 2520 includes many critical investments for public transportation, it reduces total funding for public transportation by $457 million compared to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 enacted levels. As you continue working together on the bill, we strongly urge you to increase investment in public transportation and permanently block the impending $1.2 billion across-the-board cut to transit formula funds.

Infrastructure investment is critical for our nation’s economic growth and now is the time to invest more, not less, in public transportation. Increased investment will provide the necessary resources to begin to address the more than $90 billion state-of-good-repair backlog in our nation’s transit systems and meet the mobility demands of growing communities.

In addition, we urge you to include a provision in the bill permanently blocking the impending 12 percent across-the-board cut to each public transit agency throughout the country. We greatly appreciate your leadership in ensuring that the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59, Division A) included a provision temporarily preventing this cut, but further and immediate action is needed to ensure that this harmful provision does not take effect in FY 2020.

Americans ride public transportation 10 billion times a year, and every trip meets a need or provides an opportunity. It gets people to work, their doctors, local businesses, and schools. It is a lifeline that connects communities. We urge you to support increased investment in public transportation for critical projects in small, medium, and large communities across the nation.

In summary, as you continue working together on the Senate THUD Appropriations bill, we strongly urge you to increase investment in public transportation and permanently block the impending $1.2 billion across-the-board cut to transit formula funds.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
American Public Transportation Association
Amalgamated Transit Union
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
American Concrete Pipe Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Planning Association
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
Associated General Contractors of America
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
The Bus Coalition
Community Transportation Association of America
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America
International Union of Operating Engineers
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association of City Transportation Officials
National Association of Counties
National Association of Regional Councils
National League of Cities
National Precast Concrete Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association
Portland Cement Association
Railway Supply Institute
Transport Workers Union
Transportation for America
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Conference of Mayors

cc: The Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
The Honorable Charles E. Schumer, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate
The Honorable John Thune, Majority Whip, U.S. Senate
The Honorable Richard J. Durbin, Minority Whip, U.S. Senate