The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is urging Congress today to pass a new, six-year transportation bill that will expand public transit nationwide. The plea from APTA comes after the organization released findings of a new report that shows transit ridership is slightly up for the second quarter after five consecutive quarters of decline. More than 2.5 billion trips were taken on public transit in the second quarter, a small rise of 0.1 percent when compared to the same time last year. APTA Chair Mattie Carter says if the government is serious about continued economic recovery, investing in the infrastructure of public transit is an important element.
Meanwhile, APTA President William Millar said in a prepared statement, quote, “Congress needs to act as soon as possible to pass a new multiyear surface transportation authorization bill so that we can move forward in improving our public transit systems for the millions of people who depend on their services every day.” To read more, visit www.apta.com.