The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) and the City of Lancaster, CA, have joined together in support of this year’s National Infrastructure Week (NIW), May 16 – 23, in order to bring broader attention to the need to consistently invest in and maintain the nation’s aging infrastructure, including some of America’s most valuable assets – its public transportation systems.
“Investment in our infrastructure, particularly in public transit, is key to not only helping people get to and from work, it also drives growth in our communities,” said AVTA Board Chairman and Lancaster Vice-Mayor Marvin Crist. “It’s about much more than building roads or repairing bridges; it’s about providing accessibility, connecting people to the workplace, commerce and services, as well as bringing communities together more efficiently.”
This year’s fourth annual National Infrastructure Week brings together America’s businesses, workforce and policy-making leadership. AVTA and the City of Lancaster are participating as members of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which is an affiliate member of NIW. National Infrastructure Week is the largest, most diverse, non-partisan coalition of organizations dedicated to strengthening America by rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
The City of Lancaster has worked tirelessly with both AVTA and Build Your Dreams (BYD) to better the public’s infrastructure, while holding true to sustainability with a new eco-friendly bus fleet. The AVTA will soon be able to boast the first all-electric bus fleet in the nation, with a $1.20 cost-per-mile savings versus its older diesel buses. Low-cost maintenance, zero emissions, and money going back into the local economy via the manufacturing of electric buses right here in the Antelope Valley enables the AVTA to funnel funds into various other infrastructure projects. With 185 miles per charge, the possibilities are endless.
Nationwide, according to the latest data from 2013, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reported that more than 40 percent of buses and 25 percent of rail transit assets are in marginal or poor condition. The FTA also noted there is an $86 billion backlog in deferred maintenance and replacement needs.
While passage of the federal Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was a step in the right direction, estimates to meet current national public transportation demand will require a capital investment over six years by all levels of government in the amount of $43 billion annually, according to
APTA and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Bottom Line Report. Currently, the U.S. invests only $17.7 billion annually.
“At the national level, investing in and repairing our nation’s transportation infrastructure presents a significant challenge and will require a major new funding initiative,” said Antelope Valley Transit Authority Executive Director Len Engel. “Locally, AVTA is committed to doing everything we can to provide safe, affordable and reliable public transportation to the Antelope Valley. Investing in smart new technology, such as our all-electric BYD buses, is more cost-efficient and requires less overall funding over the life of the buses.”
