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On Friday, President Obama signed a fiscal-year 2012 appropriations bill that will include $10.6 billion for public transportation, which represents a 3 percent increase over FY2011 funding levels. Congress passed the bill last week.

“Although current public transportation infrastructure needs far exceed the appropriated funds, we applaud Congress for taking this action, which will address important transit and highway needs, and put Americans back to work,” said American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Melaniphy in a prepared statement. “We hope that this will be a catalyst to help focus Congress toward passing a long-term robust transportation bill.”

The bill includes $1.6 billion for Federal Railroad Administration programs, as well as $1.9 billion for the New Starts Capital Investment Grant program — a $358 million increase over FY2011 funding, APTA officials said. In addition, Amtrak will receive $1.42 billion, or $64 million less than the railroad received in FY2011.

The bill provided zero funding for both the Transit Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grant program and livable communities initiatives.