APTA today lauded House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) for their “exemplary leadership and foresight in crafting H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act, which will put American infrastructure on a footing to compete with any country in the world.”

 

In a statement, APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said that APTA strongly supports the bill, which includes $109 billion for public transportation and $95 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak and other high-performance rail.

 

“This once-in-a-generation, forward-thinking investment,” Skoutelas said, “will help our communities meet growing mobility demands, create family-wage jobs, expand U.S. manufacturing and supply chains and grow the economy. This legislation will put us on the path to increase access to opportunities for all Americans and build more equitable communities, while also addressing the environmental and sustainability challenges facing our communities, nation and the world.”

 

The Act also includes important policies—from streamlining the Capital Investment Grant program to investing in new technologies such as zero-emission buses—that will create the transportation systems of the future.

 

“The time is now to make this transformational investment in our national infrastructure that will provide staying power to drive our economy for years to come,” said Skoutelas.

 

The APTA-UITP (International Association of Public Transport) virtual Rail Conference, presented by HNTB, June 8-9, examines the future of urban, commuter, high-speed and intercity rail modes with interactive sessions on technology, operations, safety and security, planning, finance, capital projects, workforce development, diversity and inclusion and more. Learn more and register today.

 

Ahead of the event, Passenger Transport invited a broad cross-section of APTA members to discuss their most critical priorities, concerns and initiatives. In this issue, agencies discuss improving safety, recovering from the pandemic, expanding service, connecting with riders and more.

 

The North County Transit District (NCTD) primarily serves the northern half of San Diego County, operating commuter rail, hybrid rail, fixed-route bus and ADA paratransit services. NCTD, like all public transit agencies, has experienced significant declines in ridership across all modes due to the pandemic. With that said, the most precipitous decline has been with commuter rail. NCTD’s commuter rail ridership and the revenue that it generates is a significant part of our overall revenue and subsidizes our other modes. So, NCTD is laser focused on growing ridership and revenue.

 

BY MATTHEW TUCKER
Vice Chair, APTA
Executive Director
North County Transit District
Oceanside, CA

 

The Colorado House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 21-260 this week, which would diversify how transportation funding is raised and spent in the state. Fuel taxes have been the primary source of revenue. Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign it.

 

Under the bill, the existing fuel taxes, in addition to more than half a dozen new fees totaling $3.7 billion over a decade, will pay for everything from electric vehicle incentives, electric public transit vehicles, road repair and expansion to environmental mitigation. Another $1.484 billion will come from the state’s general fund and one-time stimulus funding.

 

The bill’s sponsors used fees, not taxes, so there was no need for voter approval. However, State Rep. Andres Pico has said Colorado should emulate the Pikes Peak region, where, in 2017, voters approved a sales tax increase to fund local transportation projects.

 

“You check in with the voters. You give them the project list of what you’re going to work on. You keep faith, and you report back to them and tell them what you accomplished,” Pico said. “None of that is in this bill.”

 

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that the 57 St. subway station on the N / Q / R / W lines in Midtown Manhattan is now fully accessible, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Steve Poftak, Chief Safety Officer Ron Ester, Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green and others kicked off the beginning of National Safety Month in Massachusetts with an event highlighting awareness of the risks associated with rail grade crossings.

 

 

Sound Transit, Seattle, WA, has completed its new Operations and Maintenance Facility: East (OMF East), a key component of upcoming Link extensions to Northgate, Lynnwood, Federal Way and Redmond.