Public Transportation's State of the Union -- Need Passage of TEA 21 Reauthorization To Meet the Public's Growing Demand

Contacts: Virginia Miller (202) 496-4816 vmiller@apta.com
or Donna Aggazio (202) 496-4884 daggazio@apta.com.

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"Public transportation in the United States is a $38 billion growth industry with Americans riding public transportation 32 million times a day," said William W. Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). "In 2004, ridership grew in many places as Americans responded to new and expanded services."

Last year there were 15 new rail extensions in the United States coast-to-coast from Sacramento to Salt Lake City to Memphis to Pittsburgh. New rail lines were introduced in cities that previously did not have rail systems, including Houston, Minneapolis, Little Rock, and Charlotte. Bus service also has improved and expanded in areas such as Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and bus rapid transit is taking shape in San Diego and Oakland.

Noting that ridership increased in 2004, Millar said, "Overall, public transportation is on the move. The increases are not just in ridership and in new services, but also in the public's demand for transit, as seen in last November's successful local and state transportation initiatives."

At the 2004 elections, voters passed 80 percent of the local transportation financing ballot initiatives for a combined total of $55 billion, which is used as a non-federal share for local projects. The largest ballot initiative for public transportation was passed by 57 percent of the Denver voters for a $4.7 billion light rail and commuter rail expansion project.

"Clearly, people have spoken loud and clear in support of public transportation," said Millar. "The results of these initiatives - in urban, suburban, and rural communities - show that people want more transportation choices."

Public transportation plays an important role in helping to alleviate road congestion. According to last year's Texas Transportation Institute's (TTI) annual report on congestion, bus and train services saved 1.1 billion hours in travel time in 2002. In addition, the TTI report states that without public transportation, nationwide travel delays would have increased by 32 percent.

"Given the growth in public transportation and the increased demand by the American people to have a balanced transportation network that includes public transportation, I call on President Bush and the leaders of Congress to make the reauthorization of a long-term, well-funded and fully guaranteed transportation bill a top priority," said Millar.

Despite their success over the past year, the nation's public transportation systems have been unable to plan for the future as this all important piece of federal transportation legislation failed to pass. Delays in passage have meant delays in planning and will lead to increased costs for projects throughout the country.

"There is no time to lose as the current TEA 21 extension expires at the end of May," said Millar. "Today when President Bush delivers his State of the Union Address, I look forward to hearing him mention the importance of transportation and the need to pass a new surface transportation bill soon."

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APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions, and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. Over ninety percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA members.