APTA leaders question Trump plan to cut funds for transit capital projects

[Editor's note: This story was updated with new figures from APTA at 3:45 p.m. today.]

President Donald Trump's proposed funding cuts for transit capital projects would jeopardize $51.7 billion worth of planned projects, according to an analysis commissioned by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The study's findings were highlighted yesterday by transit-industry leaders during a press briefing held at APTA's legislative conference in Washington, D.C.

Trump's proposed fiscal-year 2019 federal budget would affect nearly $52 billion worth of transit capital projects across the country that have yet to get full funding or "Small Starts" federal grant agreements in place. The budget also would immediately remove $20 billion from the Capital Improvement Grants (CIG) program offered through the Federal Transit Administration, according to the APTA report.

Combined, those projects would support 502,000 jobs during construction. Another 300,000 longer-term jobs associated with economic productivity also are at risk, according to APTA.

Additionally, the budget represents a possible loss of $90 billion in economic output as a result of "reduced hard-hat employment and their associated spending," according to the analysis, which is titled "The Economic Implications of Proposed Public Transit Capital Funding Cuts."

"Cutting investments in America's public transit infrastructure to fund an infrastructure initiative is like robbing Peter to pay Paul," said APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas in a press release. "However, we are encouraged that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle support increased investments in public transit that will boost our economy and the quality of life in our local communities. We are calling on Congress to reject these budget cuts."

Skoutelas and other transit industry leaders yesterday discussed the proposed budget's potential impact on local public transit projects and how they leverage new federal investments in public transit infrastructure.

"Puget Sound taxpayers have done their part to keep commuters and our economy moving by adopting the most ambitious transit expansion program in the nation," said Sound Transit President and CEO Peter Rogoff. "They reasonably expect the continuation of the longtime federal funding partnership that is needed to complete transit extensions on time and accommodate the 1.2 million new jobs that we know are coming to the region in the years ahead."

Local funds are set to pay for more than 60 percent of the cost to extend light rail to the city of Lynwood, Washington, and 75 percent to reach the city of Federal Way, Washington, said Rogoff.

The Trump administration has proposed cuts to the CIG and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program (TIGER) programs, Amtrak and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metrorail.

"Federal funding is critical to the safety and reliability of our transit system, which supports a million trips each weekday here in the nation's capital," said WMATA CEO Paul Wiedefeld. "At a time when many of our nation's transit systems are falling dangerously behind on maintenance due to funding challenges, we need more investment, not less."