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DOT Adviser Praises House for Passing Nadler Amendment to Hike Transit Funding by 33 Percent in Stimulus Bill

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 January 2009, 16:45 CST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An adviser to the U.S. Department of Transportation praised the U.S. House of Representatives for approving an amendment by voice vote this afternoon to increase transit capital funding in the stimulus bill by $3 billion or 33 percent, from $9 billion to $12 billion.

Specifically, the amendment offered by U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Steve Ellison (D-MN) and Michael McMahon (D-NY) would provide $1.5 billion in funding for transit capital improvement program and $1.5 billion for the New Starts Program.

"This amendment is the right prescription for an ailing economy: it offers Americans an affordable and sustainable ride to work," said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer, a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Intelligent Transportation Systems for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund. "We applaud the House for recognizing that transit is the best transportation option to save and create jobs, get people to work and to reduce air and global warming pollution. This investment will get buses, trains, and rural vanpools moving now, and it will generate real jobs fast -- from pouring concrete for bus depots -- to assembling transit vehicles and laying steel for rail track."

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that $12 billion is needed annually to maintain and improve our transit systems. The Federal Transit Administration reports that $4 billion in existing New Starts funding agreements are outstanding.

"Transit investment and repair of existing infrastructure are the best use of transportation funds to create jobs and connect Americans to work," concluded Replogle. "As a bonus, these investments will help set America on a course to cut dependence on foreign oil. We urge the Senate to increase transit funding, emphasize infrastructure maintenance and operations, and require full transparency when it votes on its stimulus package."

Public transportation spending creates 19 percent more jobs per dollar than building new roads or bridges, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Investments in road and bridge repair create 9 percent more jobs per dollar than building new roads or bridges, according to the Federal Highway Administration. In addition, transportation uses more foreign oil than any other source of energy in the United States; it also represents 30 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions nationwide (40 percent in California) and is the fastest growing source of GHGs.

Transportation For America has identified more than $5 billion in new transit extension and rail projects that could be ready to go in 120 days, generating over 178,000 new jobs. These investments could put people to work in the manufacturing sector building new rail cars and bus vehicles, in the steel and concrete industries, in design and planning professions, and in construction and operations. New transit lines have also been demonstrated to generate substantial economic development, which yield economic benefits far beyond the life of the recovery bill.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit http://www.edf.org/

Contact: Sean Crowley, 202-572-3331-w, 202-550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org Dan Cronin, 202-251-9549, dcronin@edf.org

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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