This is a very exciting day for transportation. Today the Administration unveiled the GROW AMERICA Act, a bold $302 billion, four-year multi-modalnational vision for an aging transportation network and a rapidly growing population. Specifically for public transportation, the GROW AMERICA Act would invest $72 billion over the next four years to address the urgent transit challenges facing our urban, suburban and rural communities. The GROW AMERICA Act would authorize a nearly 70 percent increase in transit funding over the current level in MAP-21, the current transportation law set to expire on September 30 of this year.
Every indicator of the need for investment in public transit is on the rise. The U.S. population is expected to grow by 100 million people by 2050, public transit systems currently face an $86 billion maintenance backlog that is expected to grow by $2.5 billion each year if nothing is done, and public transit carried a record 10.5 billion passengers in 2013 – a ridership level not seen in generations and one that is testing the capacity of existing services. Moreover, the transit workforce is aging and advancements in technology require new entrants and new training opportunities. We can and must do better.
The GROW AMERICA Act begins to address these challenges head-on through new, innovative programs:
- Creating new ladders of opportunity for the American workforce by expanding training in high-tech, operations, and construction jobs in the transit industry;
- Assisting rapidly growing communities and cities to get ahead of congestion by quickly implementing bus rapid transit solutions;
- Protecting American jobs and domestic manufacturing by strengthening Buy America requirements over time;
- Increasing funding to drive down the transit maintenance backlog to ensure that transit remains safe, reliable, and desirable; and,
- Restoring a competitive, discretionary bus and bus facilities funding program so communities may replace aging vehicles and modernize facilities.
Information about the GROW AMERICA Act may be found at the Department’s website: http://www.dot.gov/grow-america, and more specifically, clickhttp://1.usa.gov/1kbHMT0 to learn more about how the GROW AMERICA Act improves public transportation. Please share these links with your regional stakeholders, including the state agencies and public transit providers with whom you work each day. Importantly, please let them know that more information and details are forthcoming in the days to come.