No matter where we live, we want good public transit that we can rely on to get us where we need to go. But for too long, those options have been blocked by the big corporations that profit from expanding highways. For the last 40 years, our federal officials have put more money into highways than transit.
The Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act, which was recently introduced in Congress, provides transit agencies with the funding they need to run buses and trains. More frequent transit service throughout the day, every day of the week, could get all of us where we need to go quickly, reliably, and affordably. An annual federal investment of $20 billion in transit operations would transform public transit in America.
State by state:
Impact of The
Stronger Communities
through better transit act
Remember, every dollar invested in transit puts five dollars into our communities, building local jobs. This level of transit funding would be a game changer. Our buses and trains could run more frequently. Routes could be longer, and we could add new routes to get to places that, presently, you need a car to reach. We can better connect neighborhoods and cities to each other and medical, educational, recreational, and job centers. More transit drives the economy. It means more jobs in transit; it brings workers to jobs, brings customers to business districts, and creates manufacturing jobs. Transit gets people out of traffic and results in cleaner air for a healthier future.
This bill is an investment in our economy. It will connect people with jobs, schools, and health care. Investments in our transportation systems will advance economic fairness, racial equity, and climate action!
The Union of Concerned Scientists did the math to estimate what $20 billion for operations could mean for states and cities across the country. Nationally, this adds up to nearly 100 million hours of transit service.