The APTA Board of Directors adopted two new resolutions during APTA’s Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. The first affirms APTA’s support for a high-speed passenger rail title in the next surface transportation authorization.

Specifically, the resolution states: “Consistent with the ‘APTA Four-Point Advocacy Agenda for Finance of Intercity and High-Speed Rail,’ adopted by the APTA Board of Directors March 8, 2009, APTA endorses inclusion of a separate high-speed passenger rail title in the next authorization of federal surface transportation laws, funded by other than Trust Fund revenues. APTA also supports the $50 billion amount proposed by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar in the Committee print of the Surface Transportation Act of 2009, while reaffirming its commitment to a separate transit title of no less than $123 billion. APTA also wishes to clarify, consistent with principles adopted by the APTA Executive Committee on May 2, 2009, that the Northeast Corridor should be eligible for high-speed and intercity rail investments. In addition, common and/or peripheral benefits afforded commuter rail systems as a result of high-speed rail investments should be eligible for such funding.”

The second resolution adopted by the Board of Directors focuses on positive train control (PTC). APTA supports the safety necessity of PTC but calls for the adequate funding of PTC for publicly-operated passenger rail systems. The federal government has required the highly expedited implementation of PTC by Dec. 31, 2015.

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