Dive Brief:
- The American Public Transportation Association calls for a $268 billion investment in public transit and passenger rail over the next five years, in a report released Tuesday.
- The funding would come from the upcoming surface transportation legislation, with $138 billion for public transit and $130 billion for passenger rail, building on funding from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- “Over five years, these decisions will shape not just the future of APTA members, but the strength and the competitiveness of our entire national economy,” APTA chair Leanne Redden said during a Tuesday press conference.
Dive Insight:
The current five-year federal transportation funding cycle under the IIJA expires Sept. 30. Congressional committees in the House and Senate have begun discussions and hearings to shape the next multiyear legislation.
“When it comes to smart investments, the facts speak for themselves,” said APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas at the press conference. A separate economic report, also released yesterday, shows that every $1 billion investment in transit generates $5 billion in gross domestic product for the U.S. economy. That investment also generates $251 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, the report states.
APTA’s recommendations for the next transportation bill center on continued investment, accelerating project delivery by eliminating statutory and regulatory barriers to infrastructure construction, and enhancing local decision-making.
The report suggests “eliminating unnecessary, burdensome requirements” for certain grants, giving public transit agencies the authority to streamline environmental reviews for public transit and passenger rail projects, and creating a centralized Buy America database of construction materials that meet the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act.
According to APTA, 3,000 suppliers across 49 states manufacture bus and passenger rail car components, creating jobs in those states and communities.
APTA also recommends expanding eligibility for private activity bonds and increasing the statutory cap from $30 billion to $45 billion. These tax-exempt bonds are generally submitted by state transportation departments for public-private partnerships.
Gaining support for APTA’s recommendations involves “telling those local stories and making them translatable to both members of Congress and specifically their constituents,” Redden said. “It’s important for [congressional] members from smaller areas, small cities, other states across the country, to understand that real jobs and real investment is happening in their communities, whether they have a robust transit, public transportation network or not.”
