The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the economic recovery bill, and an amendment will be offered to increase transit funding from $9 billion to $12 billion.

The amendment is sponsored by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore), Dan Lipinski (D-Ill), Steve Ellison (D-Minn) and Michael McMahon (D-NY). The amendment would appropriate an additional $1.5 billion for transit formula funding and $1.5 billion for the New Starts program.

The American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) economic recovery survey has identified almost 800 “ready-to-go” transit projects worth $15.9 billion. Transit investment can be spent quickly and will immediately create “green” jobs. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that every $1 billion of stimulus investment in transportation infrastructure supports 28,000 jobs, while $12 billion in new transit funding would create more than 330,000 new jobs. The proposed amendment would also increase public transportation funding to nearly the level recommended by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn) last month.

APTA has posted an action call on their Website, urging APTA members to contact their U.S. Representatives immediately to ask them to support the “Nadler” amendment to add an additional $3 billion for public transportation to the economic recovery bill. For more information on APTA’s call to action, visit http://www.apta.com/government_affairs/washrep/2009january27.cfm