APTA calls for infrastructure bill in response to COVID-19

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) endorsed U.S. Democratic House leaders' call this week for work on a fourth economic recovery legislative package in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with the next bill focused on infrastructure.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter Fazio (D-Ore.) spoke April 1 about their plan to address the nation's growing infrastructure needs through their Moving Forward Framework, an infrastructure package first proposed in January. The proposal calls for a $489 billion investment over five years in surface transportation, including $105 billion for public transit and $55 billion for passenger rail.

The proposal would follow the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) that President Donald Trump signed into law last week. The CARES Act was the third in a series of bills that Congress passed and Trump signed to address the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the nation.

"Increased investment in infrastructure creates jobs and strengthens local economies, and that is exactly what America needs right now," said APTA President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas in a press release. "As the nation moves forward and works to address the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, renewed investment in public transportation infrastructure will provide a solid economic foundation for recovery."

APTA has proposed a $178 billion investment over six years is necessary to restore transit and passenger-rail systems to a state of good repair.