The Association for Commuter Transportation during the opening session of its annual Public Policy Summit, announced the launch of a national campaign to encourage 25 cities (or regional entities) to pass transit benefit ordinances by 2020.
Transit benefits are a significant driver for increasing the number of individuals utilizing public transit to get to work, as it reduces the cost of transit through the use of pre-tax dollars, puts transit passes in the hands of more people, and helps support an expanded transportation system through employer sponsored shuttles. The impacts will benefit us all through improved air quality, reduced congestion, and more money in families' pockets. The national effort is being helped through the generous support of ACT members, including WeDriveU, a leader in corporate transportation solutions; Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions, a leading provider of commuter benefits; and WageWorks, Inc., a leading on-demand provider of consumer directed benefits.
The Summit was kicked off with a welcome address from the Honorable Kirsti Kauppi, ambassador of Finland to the United States. The Ambassador spoke to the crowd at the Grand Hyatt Washington, about the countries commitment to developing and delivering transportation options and its support of Mobility as a Service, an industry for which Finland is a global pioneer, recently launching a full-scale program in Helsinki.
In addition to the 25x20 campaign, Jon Martz, chair of ACT's Public Policy Committee delivered the '2017 State of the Commute' address that highlighted the changes taking place within our transportation system, the impacts of technology, and the importance of focusing on developing a smarter, more efficient & effective transportation system that gets more out of what we already have and allows for solution-driven projects to be built faster and last longer.
In this address, Martz called upon Congress and the Trump Administration to pass a robust infrastructure bill that focused on addressing our nation's crumbling infrastructure while also investing in a smarter, more efficient transportation system.
"The recent incidents in Atlanta demonstrate the importance of investing in both transportation and infrastructure. With two primary commuter routes rendered ineffective, commuters have been able to turn to other options such as carpooling, transit, telework, and vanpooling. The work of TDM agencies and employer-based programs in the Atlanta region in response to this incident has demonstrated the effectiveness and benefits of supporting TDM programs. ACT calls on Congress to invest both policy and funding into a smarter, more efficient transportation system that taps into and leverages the ingenuity and resources of the private sector."
