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The current five-year federal transportation funding cycle under the IIJA expires Sept. 30. Congressional committees in the House and Senate have begun discussions and hearings to shape the next multiyear legislation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to smart investments, the facts speak for themselves,\u201d said APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas at the press conference. A separate economic report<\/a>, also released yesterday, shows that every $1 billion investment in transit generates $5 billion in gross domestic product for the U.S. economy. That investment also generates $251 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, the report states.<\/p>\n APTA\u2019s recommendations<\/a> for the next transportation bill center on continued investment, accelerating project delivery by eliminating statutory and regulatory barriers to infrastructure construction, and enhancing local decision-making.\u00a0<\/p>\n The report suggests \u201celiminating unnecessary, burdensome requirements\u201d for certain grants, giving public transit agencies the authority to streamline environmental reviews for public transit and passenger rail projects, and creating a centralized Buy America database of construction materials that meet the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to APTA, 3,000 suppliers across 49 states manufacture bus and passenger rail car components, creating jobs in those states and communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n APTA also recommends expanding eligibility for private activity bonds<\/a> and increasing the statutory cap from $30 billion to $45 billion. These tax-exempt bonds are generally submitted by state transportation departments for public-private partnerships.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gaining support for APTA\u2019s recommendations involves \u201ctelling those local stories and making them translatable to both members of Congress and specifically their constituents,\u201d Redden said. \u201cIt\u2019s important for [congressional] members from smaller areas, small cities, other states across the country, to understand that real jobs and real investment is happening in their communities, whether they have a robust transit, public transportation network or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n