Tell President Obama: Save Jobs, Save Transit

America’s transit agencies are falling on difficult times. Massive layoffs, service cuts, fare hikes. And the problem is only going to grow as budget shortfalls deepen. Upcoming legislation focused on job-creation could help, but only if we act fast.

With your help, we’ll urge the President to make sure Congress makes the smart, strategic investments that can save transit jobs, keep our buses and trains running, and bring lasting improvements to our country’s transportation system.

Please urge President Obama to make sure struggling transit systems are a priority in the upcoming jobs bill – sign the letter below and we’ll deliver it in person during our meeting!

Dear Mr. President: We applaud your leadership in helping to address the nation’s unemployment situation through strong investment in America’s transportation infrastructure. As a national coalition of elected officials, businesses, and organizations that understand how transportation spending can create jobs, connect people to jobs and lay a foundation for a fully modernized 21st century transportation infrastructure, we believe any investments that are part of a short-term jobs package should follow three principles: (1) Create the greatest number of jobs in the quickest time possible by prioritizing rehabilitation and operation of existing infrastructure and target new workforce development opportunities for people most in need of employment. The rehabilitation and operation of existing roads, bridges, rail lines and transit systems are investments that have been proven to create more jobs and get projects underway in the shortest amount of time possible. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) that increase operating efficiency of all transportation systems are quick to implement and provide 50% of project costs as direct labor compared to 20% for new highway construction. And significant funding for transit and intercity bus operations in a jobs bill would allow hundreds of public transit agencies all across America to rehire workers and drivers immediately after a jobs bill is signed while reconnecting thousands of people to jobs. A focus on workforce development would target new transportation construction jobs to the people who need them the most by dedicating one percent of all funding for apprenticeship and construction careers programs in the transportation sector and targeting 30 percent of all construction work hours to local, lower-income workers. (2) Chart a new 21st century direction in transportation policy. Our federal transportation policy and programs are stuck in the past and are out of touch with a 21st century economy. We urge a jobs bill to begin to chart a new direction in federal transportation policy by including significant funding for the new TIGGER grants multi-modal discretionary program as established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the TIGGER grants to green and modernize transit vehicles, new investments in new public transit (new starts and formula funding), high speed rail, intercity bus, intelligent transportation systems, and seamless networks of on-road bicycle and pedestrian facilities and trails. Indeed, a new analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Smart Growth America, and U.S. PIRG shows that in the first ten months of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), investments in public transportation have created twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways. Finally, in order to lay the groundwork for a new outcome-oriented direction in federal transportation policy in the upcoming legislation, we request a requirement be included for the US Department of Transportation to develop and, within nine months, report on new transportation performance measures to be incorporated into a subsequent transportation authorization. (3) Limit such a measure to no more than a year while moving forward as soon as possible with the long-term authorization of the transportation bill. Any short-term jobs package for transportation should be limited to no more than one year, providing a strong boost to the American economy in 2010, thereby ensuring Congress can continue its work on a longer-term transformational transportation authorization that can bring our nation’s transportation policy and programs into the 21st century. The economic challenges we face as a nation face are staggering. Our organizations applaud your leadership on job creation and investment in transportation infrastructure and we look forward to supporting your efforts in enacting such critical legislation. Sincerely, The Undersigned

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