Members of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) took part in a fly-in to Washington, D.C., last week and discussed with elected officials the importance of providing funding to public transportation as authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Both the Senate and House of Representatives have advanced Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 THUD Appropriations bills.
“These forward-looking investments are critical to modernize public transit systems and meet the growing mobility demands of cities and communities and we appreciate members of Congress and their staffs taking the time to meet with our public- and private-sector members,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas.
APTA is calling on Congress to provide at least $21.6 billion for public transit and $20.2 billion for passenger rail in the THUD Appropriations bill when combined with the advance appropriations of the IIJA. The Senate THUD bill provides $21.1 billion for public transit, which is $2.2 billion more than the House bill. In addition, the Senate bill provides $16.7 billion for passenger and freight rail, which is $2.0 billion more than the House bill.
APTA is also urging Congress to provide $4.6 billion for Capital Investment Grants (CIG) to help communities meet mobility demands. Currently, 66 projects across the nation are seeking $42 billion of CIG funds. The Senate THUD bill provides $4 billion for CIG projects in FY 2024; the House bill provides less than $2 billion, the lowest level in two decades.
