News Headlines

The White House on February 1 announced its proposed FY 2011 budget, which includes $10.8 billion for public transportation programs, $4 billion for a National Infrastructure Investment Fund, and $1 billion for high-speed rail projects.

The proposed public transit investment--$69 million above the FY 2010 enacted level--contains a new $307 million request for a new Livable Communities program (which would include the Job Access and Reverse Commutes [JARC] Program) and $53 million requested for the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program.

Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff in a February 2 media conference call announced the new public transportation projects that FTA will recommend for funding in FY 2011.

The list includes six new projects eligible for New Starts funding, in Denver; Honolulu; Minneapolis-St. Paul; San Francisco; and New Britain-Hartford, CT. It also adds four new projects eligible for Small Starts funding: bus rapid transit (BRT) in Oakland, CA and along Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco; BRT for Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, NY; and BRT for West Seattle.

Rogoff also urged Congress to pass a jobs bill. “This is a very difficult time for transit agencies,” Rogoff said. “That’s why the administration supports the passage of an additional jobs bill.” He cited the thousands of jobs supported and created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and noted that in addition to creating new jobs, a second jobs bill will ensure that the Americans who hold jobs made possible by ARRA remain employed.

The president's proposed budget for FY 2011 also maintains funding for transit security at approximately the same levels as in FY 2010.

The proposed outlays for the Department of Homeland Security would devote $300 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Public Transportation Security Grant Program. This funding would support security projects at bus, rail, and ferry transit systems in high-risk urban areas.

The budget would also devote $138 million to the Transportation Security Agency's Surface Transportation Security program, for personnel and other resources to assess and address the risk of terrorist attacks on surface transportation.

Save the Date

Despite inclement weather in the Washington, DC, area, the APTA/UIC High-Speed Rail Practicum will continue as scheduled.

There is still time to sign up for the 2010 APTA Legislative Conference, March 14-16, featuring a breakfast with members of Congress; the latest news from Washington and a look ahead at the midterm Congressional elections from analyst and publisher Stuart Rothenberg; and entertainment by The Capitol Steps.

In the Media

APTA President William Millar discussed the benefits of high-speed rail in the National Journal Experts Blog.

CBS Evening News featured a story on the future of high-speed rail in California.

The Dallas Morning News discussed strategies Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) may adopt in an effort to persuade nearby cities to join DART without raising sales taxes.

Just for Fun

In celebration of the forthcoming Academy Awards on March 7, Passenger Transport EXPRESS invites you to submit your favorite public transportation moment in movie history. Any scene (PG or below, please) from any movie, era, or country is eligible, as long as the scene takes place on a mode of public transit.

Send entries to jbell@apta.com by Monday, March 1, 2010. Include your name, title, and where you work, and tell us in one sentence why the scene is your favorite.

If your entry is among the top three favorites, we’ll publish it in the March 5 issue—the next best thing to having your handprints in the Walk of Fame—along with the list of the most popular movie moments. You'll also receive a free 2010 APTA Calendar!