House's latest continuing resolution would cut transit funds

As the Obama administration and Congress continue to negotiate a compromise for spending levels for the rest of fiscal-year 2011, the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday filed a one week continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the federal government through April 15.

The House bill proposes to reduce funding for FY2011 by an additional $12 billion below FY2010 levels. Among the reductions in the proposed CR are cuts in four programs critical to transit and passenger rail, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

In an April 5 legislative alert, APTA said the reductions include:
• $1.5 billion for high-speed rail. The proposal would reduce funding from $2.5 billion provided in FY2010 to $1 billion for FY2011, the same level proposed in the president’s budget for this year.
• $280 million for New Starts grants. The proposal would cut funding from $2 billion in FY2010 to $1.7 million in FY2011. The bulk of the funds would come from the cancelled ARC Tunnel project in New Jersey.
• $3.3 million for Federal Transit Administration research and university research centers. The proposal would reduce funding from $65.7 million in FY2010 to $62.4 million in FY2011.
• $40 million for rail and transit security grants. The proposal would cut Department of Homeland Security funds from $300 million in FY2010 to $260 million in FY2011.

APTA has sent letters to House and Senate leaders to oppose the reductions, according to the alert.