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Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation

2/13/2012



Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Representatives preparing amendment to restore transit account in House bill


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A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives are preparing an amendment that would restore the Mass Transit Account and dedicated funding for mass transportation to the House’s proposed surface transportation funding bill.

Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Steve Latourette (R-Ohio), Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), Robert Turner (R-N.Y.), Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) are preparing to introduce the amendment this week, according to a legislative update from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The amendment would call for restoring the Mass Transit Account to the Highway Trust Fund, which for the past 30 years provided a portion of federal gas tax revenue to support public transportation.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to eliminate the account, funnel all gas tax revenue to highways and replace the Mass Transit Account with a new “Alternative Transportation Account” that would provide funding for public transportation programs a well as other programs. The action would remove a dedicated revenue stream for public transportation — a major concern to association members, APTA officials said.