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Dodd Calls for Greater Federal Investment in America's Transit Systems
Aug 06, 2009 (Congressional Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) --
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) stressed the importance of providing transit systems in Connecticut and across the country with the federal funding they need to operate safely and effectively in a statement at today's Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee hearing to examine the funding needs of rail transportation systems.
"In my state of Connecticut, home to some of America's most frustrating traffic congestion, Metro-North Railroad and Shore Line East have helped to connect residents with jobs, making it possible for the regional economies to grow," said Dodd. "Investments in sustainable development have resulted in the creation of job centers and residential communities built around stations, all the while serving to clear space on the roads.
"I know resources are scarce. But I want my constituents to be able to continue relying on Metro-North and Shore Line East. I want more residents of Connecticut to be able to take advantage of good transit options. And I want families around the country to reap the benefits of a smarter, more coordinated transportation policy."
Testimony and the archived video of today's hearing can be found here
The full text of Dodd's statement is below:
I'd like to thank Senator Menendez for holding today's important hearing.
Transit is part of the solution to a wide variety of problems: skyrocketing energy costs, dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, frustrating traffic congestion, unsustainable land use policy, and even our current high unemployment rate are just some of them.
In my state of Connecticut, home to some of America's most frustrating traffic congestion, Metro-North Railroad and Shore Line East have helped to connect residents with jobs, making it possible for the regional economies to grow. Investments in sustainable development have resulted in the creation of job centers and residential communities built around stations, all the while serving to clear space on the roads.
As Metro-North President Howard Permut testified at a field hearing I chaired in New Haven this spring, nearly 4,000 people travel to Stamford on Metro-North from points east each day. Without Metro-North, Interstate 95 would need an extra lane just for these people.
Transit works. But it only works when it's funded. The FTA's Rail Modernization Study found that more than one in three of the studied agencies' assets in either marginal or poor condition, signifying that these resources are at the end of their utility.
Meanwhile, current funding levels lag well behind what is needed to address backlogs in repair and replacement.
That undermines the safety and effectiveness of a mode of transportation we prize for exactly those attributes.
The agencies studied need $50 billion to make up those shortfalls. That figure doesn't include funding needed to expand service to reach more customers, nor does it include the many other bus and rail operators around the country.
I know resources are scarce. But I want my constituents to be able to continue relying on Metro-North and Shore Line East. I want more residents of Connecticut to be able to take advantage of good transit options. And I want families around the country to reap the benefits of a smarter, more coordinated transportation policy.
At a time when more and more Americans are having a hard time finding jobs, and the ones who do have jobs are driving longer distances on more crowded roads (while burning more expensive fuel) to reach them, it's no stretch to say that underfunded transit systems represent a further threat to an already struggling economy.
Today's hearing is a terrific opportunity to bring to light some of the needs of our nation's transit systems. Investing in transit is good for our economy, good for our environment, and good for our communities. I hope Congress will take up the challenge of finding a way to provide the funding necessary to keep these transit systems running at full speed for years to come.
#DAL1234#
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