Senators urge Bush to provide public transit funds

Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD), Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today released a letter to President Bush, signed by a bipartisan group of 43 Senators encouraging the Bush Administration to "support America's public transit systems by ensuring that these systems receive the resources they need to keep America moving." The letter was developed in anticipation of the 2003 debate on the reauthorization of the "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century" (TEA 21), which funds highway and transit programs. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee has jurisdiction over the transit component of the TEA 21 reauthorization. "Strong support for transit is essential in light of the increasing demands on our public transportation systems. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently reported that an average annual investment of $20.6 billion (in year 2000 dollars) would be required to improve the conditions and performance of our nation's transit systems," the Senators wrote to President Bush.