WASHINGTON (February 8, 2021) – “The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on behalf of the entire public transportation industry, applauds the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Budget Reconciliation Title providing $30 billion of COVID-19 emergency funding relief for public transit. The proposed funding is vital to the industry’s survival and will help prevent massive labor cuts and drastic service reductions. APTA also strongly supports the $1.5 billion of emergency funding provided for Amtrak.

A recent independent, economic analysis conducted by EBP US Inc. for APTA found that public transit agencies face a projected shortfall of $39.3 billion. While initial rounds of emergency funding provided transit agencies across the nation with relief, public transit funding needs continue to grow due to ongoing losses of ridership, fare revenue, and state and local tax revenue.

The $30 billion of emergency funding included in the Budget Reconciliation Title is essential to providing the public transportation industry with long-term certainty critical to the nation’s economic recovery. The time is now to invest more in our nation’s public transportation infrastructure to support jobs, reconnect Americans, and build the necessary infrastructure network to provide critical public transit services and economic opportunities for all.

APTA commends the incredible work of the Administration and Congressional leaders, including President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and the Chairs of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, House and Senate Committees on the Budget, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. We thank each of these leaders for their critical efforts to ensure that the Budget Reconciliation bill provides $30 billion in COVID-19 emergency funding to help public transit agencies continue to provide a critical lifeline to essential workers and to help our communities begin to rebuild our economy.”

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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.                      

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