WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 21, 2021) – “On behalf of the more than 1,500 member organizations of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the tens of millions of public transit riders, APTA welcomes and congratulates newly inaugurated President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris.
President Biden has been a tireless champion for public transit and passenger rail over his many years of public service, and we look forward to working with his Administration on numerous issues of importance to millions of Americans who rely on bus and rail to get to work, to school, to healthcare appointments, and across this great nation.
The industry is deeply appreciative of President Biden’s recognition of the importance of public transportation for the country, and how critical it is for our economic recovery, as illustrated by the proposed $20 billion in emergency transit funding included in the new Administration’s American Rescue Plan. This emergency funding is vital to the industry’s survival and will help prevent massive labor cuts and drastic service reductions. The plan is an excellent start, but we need swift action to make sure our agencies can continue to provide this essential service to communities.
Investment in public transit is a bipartisan issue, and APTA will continue to work with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress in a unified push to provide immediate and crucial funding that allows our country and our economy to move forward.”
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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.
