Signs of Sanity on Transit Funding from the US Senate

In a previous post, I emphasized the need to provide operating funds for transit, not just capital funds. There’s no sense buying more buses when you’re laying off the people who drive them and repair them.  But both the Federal government and the California state government have taken themselves out of the business of actually helping to run the transit systems they’re buying equipment for.  Go figure.

Well, it appears someone has been either a) reading this blog or b) listening to any of the thousands of others who have been saying the same thing, because good news just came across my desk.

To wit, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee is considering a bill that would, in part, allow transit agencies to use up to 10 percent of the funds received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the "stimulus" funds) to cover operating costs. And they even got the talking points right:

SEC. 1202. This section provides additional flexibility to transit agencies in how they may use up to 10 percent of the formula grants provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act provided $6,900,000,000 to transit agencies for capital investments. However, the economic downturn is bringing severe distress to many of these agencies, and they now face lay-offs, furloughs and significant cuts to their transit service. These cutbacks would occur at a time when demand for such service is rising, and they work against the very purpose of the Recovery Act investments. [emphasis added]

If I were you, I’d let your Senators know you think this is a sensible idea (FYI, California’s own Dianne Feinstein sits on the Committee).