challenges and opportunities: a national perspective on the public transit industry today
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Global issues are impacting local decisions like never before. The Country’s nationally recognized leaders in public transportation candidly discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the public transit industry today. This national perspective set the stage for timely discussions about how to forge strong local, state and national partnerships to better serve our communities.TRANSCRIPT
Challenges and Opportunities:
A National Perspective on the Public Transit Industry Today
Ron Epstein
Chair, ASC Transit Legislative Team
Vice-Chair, AASHTO Standing Committee on Public Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
AASHTO’s Transit LegislativeGuiding Principles
• Restore a strong federal partnership and an integrated multi-modal approach to sustain future economic and population growth in our urban and rural areas
• Establish national transit supportive policies to enable a doubling of ridership to more than 20 billion by 2030
• To keep pace with rising demand for rural public transportation, federal funding for the rural transit program should more than double over the next six year authorization period
• Authorize the maximum guaranteed investment levels in the federal transit program over the six year authorization period (no less than $99.8 billion), with a goal of meeting at least 50% of the estimated annual capital needs by 2015
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
• STAA recommends $450 billion investment in surface transportation programs
• Including $99.8 billion for public transportation programs 90 percent increase over SAFETEA-LU levels
• Proposal does not address where increased revenues will come from to finance the program
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
• Increases share of federal program for transit to 23 percent
From 80/20 to 77/23
Reduces general fund contribution from 20% to 12.5%
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
• Three recurring themes:
Vision – long term Opportunities – short-term Unintended consequences
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
Vision/Opportunities:
• Retains strong federal partnership• Begins national dialogue on transit supportive policies• Restores purchasing power of Mass transit Account (MTA) of the
Highway Trust Fund (HTF)• Recognizes environmental and climate change benefits of public
transportation• Retains major FTA categorical programs• Preserves existing federal match ratios
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
Unintended Consequences/Areas of Concern
• Operating Assistance• Office of Expedited Project Delivery (OPED)• Reporting/Performance Targets• Bus/Bus Facility Program (Bus Discretionary)• Coordinated Access and Mobility Program (CAMP) • FHWA - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program (CMAQ)• FHWA - Surface Transportation Program (STP)
Oberstar Bill/Surface Transportation Authorization Act (STAA) of 2009
Not addressed:
• Funding Title/Formula Factors• Provisions to Simplify/Streamline Grant Administration/ Approval
process• Permanent Parity Provision for Commuter Choice• Amendments the FTA Charter Rule/Regionally significant
Activities/Events (NYS Fair) • Permanent Extension of Current Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE)
Tax Credit for Alternative Fuel
Continuing Existing/Forging New Partnerships
Working Collaboratively with:
• Key House/Senate Staff• State DOT CEOs• FTA• APTA• CTAA• U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Other
Ron Epstein, Director
Chief Financial Officer
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Road, POD 5-4
Albany, New York 12232
(518) 457-8362
Questions??