Statement by American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President William Millar:
"On behalf of the more than 1,500 members of the American Public Transportation Association I commend President Obama for his remarks last night that highlighted creating and supporting jobs through investing in transportation infrastructure.
The $50 billion in direct funding proposed in the American Jobs Act will go a long way to jump start needed transportation investments. Every $1 billion in public transportation investment supports or creates 36,000 jobs. Also, for every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic returns.
The federal surface transportation legislation is overdue by nearly two years and the current extension will expire on September 30 if congressional action is not taken. Passing another extension is not the ultimate solution, though. We need a long-term, well-funded, multimodal surface transportation bill that will address transit and highway needs and put Americans back to work.
We hope that in the weeks to come both Congress and the Administration will work towards creating a robust transportation bill."
