Leaders Discuss Dire Impacts of Proposed Cuts to Federal Public Transportation Funding

Nationwide Rallies Highlight Don't X Out Public Transit Day

Media Conference Call Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. EDT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Last week Congress passed a six-month extension of the surface transportation authorization bill, which will authorize public transportation funding at current levels until March 2012. While the temporary extension is important, public transit advocates are concerned about the short and long-term outlook for public transit funding.  

The House of Representatives has proposed to cut more than one-third of federal funding across the board for public transit and surface transportation programs. If these cuts are implemented, transit riders can expect service delays, and service cutbacks as transit systems will be forced to reduce service and forego critical service improvement and maintenance projects.  Jobs in the private sector will be lost.

Public transit systems, businesses, employees, riders and advocates realize these cuts would be devastating to our communities and our economy, which is why they are joining together at rallies around the country on Tuesday, September 20 with a message for Congress: 'Don't X Out Public Transit.'

On Don't X Out Public Transit Day, a survey will be released highlighting what a cut one-third in federal funding would mean to transit systems nationwide.  A panel discussion conference call with transit leaders and advocates will discuss the impact of the cuts and the national Don't X Out Public Transit campaign. More information about the rallies and events happening around the country on September 20 can be found at www.supporttransit.org.

WHO:

• William Millar – president of the American Public Transportation Association
• John Robert Smith –co-chair of Transportation for America,  president and CEO of Reconnecting America
• Larry Hanley – president of the Amalgamated Transit Union
• Portia Reddick White – director of department of legislative and political affairs, Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
• Patrick Scully - chief commercial officer, Daimler Buses North America

WHEN: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. EDT

Don't X Out Public Transportation Day is the combined effort of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), National Association of Public Transportation Advocates in Action (NAPTA), Reconnecting America, Transit Riders for Public Transportation, Transportation for America (T4), the Transportation Equity Network, Transportation Workers Union (TWU), and transit riders and advocates across the country. This national rally day and call to action highlights the severe effects a more than a one-third cut to federal transit funding would have and the need for increased investment in public transportation.  

SOURCE Don't X Out Public Transportation Day