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New leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees might not fund the fiscal-year 2007 transit program at levels guaranteed by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Instead, committee members plan to pass a year-long joint resolution that will fund most federal programs, including the transportation appropriations bill, at FY2006 levels, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) Jan. 18 “Legislative Update.”

The federal transit program currently is funded at FY2006 levels under a continuing resolution that expires on Feb. 15. If Congress continues to freeze funding at the FY2006 level, investment in the federal transit program would fall $470 million short of levels guaranteed under SAFETEA-LU.

APTA officials are encouraging congressmen to fund federal transit and highway programs at FY2007 levels. House and Senate authorizing committee members support the funding. On Jan. 17, leaders of the Senate’s Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Environment and Public Works committees sent a letter to Senate leaders urging full funding of the transit and highway programs in FY2007.