Statement by American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President William Millar:
"The proposed 30 percent cut in public transportation for Fiscal Year 2012 approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing today runs completely counter to our country's ability to create jobs and provide access to jobs necessary to move the economy forward.
This budgetary action underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass the long-stalled surface transportation authorization legislation. The current SAFETEA-LU legislation expired on Sept. 30, 2009 and the extension expires on Sept. 30.
Now is the time that our country should be increasing investment in transportation infrastructure, not significantly curtailing it. For every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 are generated in economic returns, and every $1 billion in public transportation investment supports and creates 36,000 jobs."
