WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 18, 2020) – “The American Public Transportation Association joins the nation in mourning the passing of an American icon, Member of Congress John Lewis. Our country has lost an indefatigable leader for civil rights and justice, who was known as the ‘conscience of the Congress.’ He was also a tireless advocate for investment in public transportation for the nation and for his district in metro Atlanta.

From his early days in joining the Freedom Riders and throughout his congressional career where he served on the Public Works and Transportation Committee before moving to the Way and Means Committee, John Lewis championed the power of providing equal access and opportunity through public transportation.

Earlier this month, in supporting the House of Representatives surface transportation bill, he said: ‘For too long our nation’s transportation system prioritized highway expansion and exclusionary legacies that result in gentrification and displacement. These transportation planning policies contribute to racial and socioeconomic disparities in income, health, education and environment. We can and must do better.’”

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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations which represent a $74 billion industry that directly employs 435,000 people and supports millions of private sector jobs. APTA members are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products.