Representative John Mica (R-FL) recently released a six-year surface transportation reauthorization plan totaling between $215 billion and $230 billion, drastically reducing the 2005 bill of $286 billion which, most agree, was then grossly inadequate. The proposed plan would not provide the necessary funding the country needs to maintain good quality public transportation.
TCU President Bob Scardelletti said, “The time has come to stop whittling away public transportation and provide adequate funding that will maintain the quality service our hard working public transit workers provide.”
Even House Republicans are opposing the plan, Steve LaTourette (R-OH) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) joined Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in writing to Mica opposing the bill the he planned to unveil on Thursday.
“At a time when more than 9 percent of Americans are unemployed, a robust and comprehensive surface transportation bill is more vital than ever,” Nadler said. “We need our next transportation bill to maintain our infrastructure, to provide thousands of good jobs, and put America back on a path toward long-term economic growth.”
In a release Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President Larry Hanley said this plan would be a death blow for transit, “People will be boarding twenty-year old buses held together with spit and glue, and transfer to subway, light rail, and commuter rail systems running on ancient tracks, rusty nuts and bolts, and 20th Century signal equipment. It’s another Washington Metro disaster waiting to happen,” he warned. “Americans want and deserve reliable and affordable public transportation that can get them safely to and from work, school and other daily tasks.”
Click here to read the proposed plan introduced by Representative Mica.
Click here to view the related release from the TTD.
Click here to read the letter from Congressman Nadler to Congressman Mica.
Click here to read the release from ATU President Larry Hanley.