The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Chair, House Appropriations Committee
H 307, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Shelby
Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Committee
Room S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Kay Granger
Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee
H 307, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Cc: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Schatz, Senator Collins, Congressman Price, Congressman Diaz-Balart
Dear Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger and Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Shelby:
We write to you today to urgently ask you to keep the promise of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) throughout the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process, particularly when it comes to programs that make transit more affordable and accessible.
With great economic uncertainty throughout our economy, public transit is more important than ever. Public transit is not only an engine for economic growth and jobs; it is also an important bulwark against our dependence on foreign oil.
At this critical moment, the IIJA gives cities and states the ability to expand public transit options, replace thousands of deficient transit vehicles, including buses, with clean, zero-emission vehicles, and improve accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities. But that is not possible unless Congress fulfills its promise to the American public and fully funds the vital programs contained in the bill.
We particularly urge you to fund:
FTA’s Capital Investment Grants Program (CIG): The Capital Investment Grant program is a competitive grant that can fund capital improvements to both large and small transit systems. The ILJA funds CIG at $4.6 billion per year, with $1.6 billion of that coming as advance appropriations and $3 billion to be appropriated annually. We ask that Congress fund the program at its full $4.6 billion via the FY23 appropriations process.
RAISE and MEGA Competitive Grant Programs: The Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, formerly known as BUILD and TIGER, funds a diverse array of capital improvements in surface transportation projects and has been an important source of support for transit and safe walking or bike access to transit. The new National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program will provide grants on a competitive basis to support projects of national and regional significance, including transit, which will help provide new multimodal transportation options in areas currently lacking them. The IIJA guarantees $1.5 billion to RAISE but authorizes Congress to add $1.5 billion in annual appropriations as well as $2 billion for MEGA. We ask that Congress fund the combined RAISE and MEGA line item at its full $3.5 billion, in addition to the funding guaranteed in the infrastructure law.
Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP): The ATIIP was created in the IIJA as a competitive grant program that could fund the construction of active transportation (biking and walking) infrastructure through and between communities. Such investments are essential to retrofit dangerous roadways to provide safe access to transit service. The law authorized the program to receive $200 million annually, but did not provide any of that as advance appropriations. We ask that Congress fully fund the ATIIP at $200 million in FY2023.
Public transit is our route to equitable economic growth and jobs. But that cannot be accomplished without full funding for programs that fund transit projects and efforts to improve access to transit. We cannot afford to miss this historic opportunity and need Congress to fulfill the promise it made in the IIJA.
We urge you to bring the Appropriations bills that include this funding to the floor and pass them without delay.
Sincerely,
1000 Friends of Oregon — BrettMorgan, Transportation and Great Communities Policy Manager
5th Square — WillTung, Steering Committee Member
Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action — KarenBueno, Leaders Team Member, ANCA
Active Transportation Alliance — AmyRynell, Executive Director
All Aboard Ohio — StuNicholson, Executive Director
Alliance for a Just Society — LeeAnnHall, Executive Director
Alliance for Community Transit – Los Angeles (ACT-LA) — AlfonsoDirecto Jr., Senior Advocacy Manager
Allston Brighton Health Collaborative — AnnaLeslie, Director
Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation — RobZako, Executive Director
Bicycle Colorado — Piepvan Heuven, Government Relations Director
Bike Durham — JohnTallmadge , Executive Director
Businesses for a Livable Climate — MarieVenner, Co-Chair
Call to Action Colorado — Marie Venner & Stef Klass, Co-Chair
Capitol Heights Presbyterian — MarkMeeks, Minister
CASA — Gustavo Torres, Executive Director
CatholicNetwork US — Marie Venner & Stef Klass, Co-Chair, Founder
Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY — Dr. Sharon McLennon Wier, Executive Director
Center for Transportation and the Environment — DanRaudebaugh, Executive Director
Citizen’s Alliance for a Sustainable Englewood — JaniceBrown, Member
Clean Air Council — NickZuwiala-Rogers, Transportation Program Director
Center for Neighborhood Technology — RobertDean, CEO
Colorado Businesses for a Livable Climate — Marie Venner& Jim Smith, Co-Chair
Coalition for Smarter Growth — StewartSchwartz, Executive Director
Coastal Rail Santa Cruz — BarryScott, Director
Colorado Community Rights Network (COCRN) — J.D. Ruybal, Board Member
Community for Sustainable Energy — FredKirsch, Director
CultureHouse — AaronGreiner, Executive Director
Democratic Socialists of America — NicoleMurray, Transit Justice
Denver Streets Partnership — JillLocantore, Executive Director
East Metro Strong — WilliamSchroeer, Executive Director
Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance — NichelleTaylor, Program Director for Policy Development and Implementation
Greater Park Hill Community — BridgetWalsh, member
Greening Greenfield — CarolLetson, Assistant Treasurer
GreenLatinos — AndreaMarpillero Colomina, Sustainable Communities Program Director
Health Equity Partnership of North Central Mass Inc — ChelseyPatriss, Executive Director
I-70 Citizens Advisory Group — RachaelLehman, Chair, Healthy Communities
Indivisible Ambassadors — PhilipBeck, Co-Founder
Indivisible Colorado — ElizabetaStacishin, Climate Lead
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) — MichaelKodransky, US Director
InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia — ChrissyStonebraker-Martinez , Co director
La Crosse Area Transit Advocates — CathyVan Maren, Board Chair
Labor Network for Sustainability — LizRatzloff, Labor Climate Organizer
Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety and Environment — DougHenderson, member
Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety, & the Environment — EdBehan, Media Liaison/Outreach
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) — DarienDavis, Government Affairs Advocate, Climate & Clean Energy
LINK Houston — GabeCazares, Executive Director
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition — Eli AkiraKaufman, Executive Director
Madison Area Bus Advocates — SusanDe Vos, President
Massachusetts Communities Action Network — Lew Finfer, Special Projects Organizer
Mayfair Park Neighborhood Association — Debbie Thornburg James, Board Member
Mental Health & Inclusion Ministries — AmyPetré Hill, Founder/Community Chaplain
Metropolitan Area Planning Council — Elizabeth Weyant, Deputy Executive Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy
Michigan Environmental Council — RossGavin, Director of Urban Land Use, Infrastructure, and Transportation
Midlands Transit Riders Association — CharlesGossett, Past President
Missoula Urban Transportation District — CoreyAldridge, CEO & General Manager
Montbello Neighborhood Improvement Association — EmmettHobley, Co-Chair
Mothers Out Front Colorado — JamieValdez, Organizing Lead
Move Redmond — Kelli Refer, Executive Director
National Association of City Transportation Officials — CorinneKisner, Executive Director
Natural Resources Defense Council — DeronLovaas, Senior Policy Advocate
Neighbors for Clean Air — MaryPeveto, Executive Director
New Jersey Future — PeterKasabach, Executive Director
North Range Concerned Citizens — KristiDouglas, Commerce City Councilor and Co-Chair
Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance — MichelleKrocker, Executive Director
Palmetto Cycling Coalition — AmyJohnson Ely, Executive Director
PeopleForBikes — NoaBanayan, Director of Government Affairs
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) — LisaDaglian, Executive Director
Philly Transit Riders Union — NatLownes, Coordinating Committee Member
Phoenix Finance — KrisNelson, Principal
Pittsburghers for Public Transit — LauraChu Wiens, Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League — MatthewBaker, Policy Director
PolicyLink — JerryMaldonado, Vice President of Programs
Public Advocates — MichellePariset, Senior Policy Advocate
RapidShift Network — Cheryl Barnds& Marie Venner, Co-Chair, Founder
Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce — AnnSilver, Chief Executive Officer
Reno City Council — JennyBrekhus, Council Member
RI Transit Riders — PatriciaRaub, Co-Chair RI Transit Riders
RICOSH — JamesCelenza, Director
Ride New Orleans — CourtneyJackson, Executive Director
Riders Alliance — BetsyPlum, Executive Director
Rise and Resist Elevator Action Group — JessicaMurray, Organizer
Rise and Resist/Elevator Action Group — JenniferVan Dyck, Activist/Organizer
RTD Rider’s Alliance — PaoloSolorzano, Founder
Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail — JessicaEvans, Board Member
Save EPA (former employees) — JeffHart, Co-founder
Seamless Bay Area — IanGriffiths, Policy Director
Seattle Transit Riders Union — KatieWilson, General Secretary
Seattle/Tacoma area MS activists — LindaMoran, Volunteer advocate for Northwest MS Society chapter
Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coaltion — KyleLawrence, Executive Director
Sierra Club — KatherineGarcia, Director, Clean Transportation for All
Small Business Alliance — MarieVenner, Chair
Southern Environmental Law Center — TripPollard, Land & Community Program Leader
Southwest Organization for Sustainability — AnnaRamirez, Secretary
Spirit of the Sun, Inc. — ShannonFrancis, Executive Director
Streets For All — MichaelSchneider, Founder
Sunnyside United Neighbors, inc (SUNI) — TruptiSuthar, President
Sustain Charlotte — ShannonBinns, Executive Director
System Change Not Climate Change — MauraStephens, Coordinating Committee Member
Tampa Downtown Partnership — KarenKress, Director of Transportation and Planning
The Ability Center of Greater Toledo — KatieHunt Thomas, Director of Advocacy
The Association for Public Transportation — BradBellows, President
The Green House Connection Center — HarmonyCummings, Co-Founder
The Transit Coalition — BartReed, Executive Director
Together for Brothers — ChristopherRamirez, Executive Director
Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee, Inc. — JessicaDauphin, President and CEO
Transit Forward Philadelphia — YashaZarrinkelk, Advocacy Director
Transportation Alternatives — DannyHarris, Executive Director
Transportation Choices Coalition — HesterSerebrin, Policy Director
Transportation for America — BethOsborne, Director
Transportation for Massachusetts — PeteWilson, Senior Advisor
Transportation Riders United — MeganOwens, Executive Director
Tri-State Transportation Campaign — FeliciaPark-Rogers, Director of Regional Infrastructure
Unite North Metro Denver — FranAguirre, President
Virginia Organizing — BrianJohns, Director
WakeUP Wake County — NathanSpencer, Executive Director
WalkBoston — StsceyBeuttell, Executive Director
Wall of Women — PaddyMcClelland, Co-Founder
Waterway Advocates — CalebMerendino, Co-Executive Director
Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness — PamelaSchwartz, Director
Western Slope Businesses for a Livable Climate — ChrisCalwell, Co-Chair
Wilwerding Consulting, also Co-Chair, Littleton Business Alliance — DennisWilwerding, President
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice — Rabbi BonnieMargulis, Executive Director
Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance — CathyVan Maren, Board President
WISDOM — Barbara Pfarr, Transit Task Force Chair
Womxn from the Mountain — RenéeM. Chacon, Executive Director/Co Founder
Working for Racial Equity — AnnaRamirez, Organizer
Zero Emission Bus Resource Alliance (ZEBRA) — MikeHursh, Chair