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Public transit association applauds State of the Union despite rail snub
President Obama did not mention any of his plans for rail projects in his State of the Union address last night, but the president of the American Public Transportation Association still found something to like in the president’s speech.
“On behalf of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and its 1500 members across the country, I applaud President Obama for his focus on investment in our nation’s transportation infrastructure, including public transportation, as a way to fulfill the President’s goal of ‘building an America to last,’ ” APTA President Michael Melaniphy said in a statement released by the association Wednesday morning.
“We applaud the President for including job creation through infrastructure investment in his agenda; let’s not lose sight of the fact that one of the most effective jobs bills would be to pass a multi-year fully funded transportation bill,” Melaniphy continued.
Republicans spent most of 2011 trying to put the brakes on Obama's rail initiatives in 2011. The GOP-led House voted last year to eliminate all funding for high-speed rail projects in the 2012 federal budget, arguing the railways would not generate enough revenue to cover their operational expenses.
The GOP also used that argument to push for most of the last year to privatize the most popular Amtrak service, in the Northeast Corridor.
But Melaniphy made the counterargument Wednesday that Obama did not offer in his third State of the Union.
“As the nation continues down the path to economic recovery, public transportation offers solid, proven solutions,” the APTA president said. “For every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic returns. Further, public transportation investments help support hundreds of manufacturers around the country, the same ones that the president highlighted for driving economic growth and creating jobs.”
