APTA: Obama, Congress need to work together on transportation reauthorization bill

American Public Transportation Association President Michael Melaniphy commended President Barack Obama's comments during Tuesday's State of the Union speech, in which the president emphasized the connection between jobs and transportation infrastructure investment.

"His comment that first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure is on the money," Melaniphy said in a prepared statement. "We know that if there is first-class public transportation in a community, economic development follows. Public transportation is a proven catalyst for a community's economic growth and opportunity."

Melaniphy noted that nearly 60 percent of trips on public transportation systems are taken for work commutes.

"Adequately funding public transportation and transportation as a whole is a serious economic concern," he added. "Congress needs to pass a new, well-funded, multi-modal surface transportation bill before the current transportation legislation (MAP-21) expires on Sept. 30. Congress also needs to fund the Highway Trust Fund, which includes the Mass Transit Account. Investment in transportation has always been a bipartisan issue and we need President Obama and Congress to work on this critical legislation."