The full nationwide impact of sequestration is yet to be determined but one likely impact to the public transportation federal program is cuts to the New Starts program. MAP-21 had already included cuts to New Starts, and with the likelihood of sequester cuts in this already constrained environment, it will lead to impacts on intended payment schedules and slow funding for projects that have already started or are in the planning stages. FTA Administration & Research accounts, Hurricane Sandy Emergency Relief, as well as FRA, Amtrak, and some FHWA funds are also impacted. Transit formula dollars are not expected to be impacted.
Over the past week, APTA has participated in a flurry of meetings to strengthen national and regional partnerships on behalf of the industry.
In Philadelphia, APTA Chair Flora Castillo and APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy joined Mayor Michael Nutter, chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, to discuss public transportation’s role in community and economic development.
In Washington, DC, Melaniphy was invited to a full-day meeting at the White House, hosted by the U.S Surgeon General Vice Admiral Regina Benjamin, to explore the role of public transit in creating healthier cities. Melaniphy also participated in AASHTO’s Transportation Industry Roundtable to advocate for securing the necessary revenues to keep the Trust Fund sustainable.
In Phoenix, Melaniphy spoke before the Friends of Transit conference where he accepted an award on behalf of APTA and toured Valley Metro.
This week, APTA Chair Flora Castillo moderated a webinar, “Creating Sustainable Human Capital Investment: New Programs and Tools,” part of a series of “Transportation Tuesdays Online,” sponsored by APTA’s Transit Board Members Committee. Fred Daniels, chair, APTA Transit Board Members Committee, and chair, MARTA Board of Directors, presided during this highly successful program. The webinar included a number of APTA members discussing workforce development and tools available from the FTA that will help public transit agencies and businesses attract and build a new generation of skilled workers, including a comprehensive job profile guide and a new on-line career management site.
The APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference is coming up May 5-8, 2013 in Indianapolis. If you want the latest news about policy, planning, operations and maintenance, and public transportation in today’s operating environment, you won’t want to miss the great sessions this event offers.
Congratulations to Walt Disney Animation Studios for the big Oscar win with PAPERMAN, in which public transportation plays a prominent role in bringing people together.
Fort Worth has a long history of public transit and The T embraces it. It has a 100-year-old piece of that history on display in the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center surrounded by their current modes of service.
It’s easy! Using public transportation that is… Just take a look at this video from Triangle Transit about how easy it is to use public transportation. Obviously, this worked out despite the old Hollywood adage to never work with kids or animals.