Expanding Transit Will Help Americans in Tough Economy, Cut Dependence on Foreign Oil, Green Transportation Expert Tells Senate Banking Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sean Crowley – (202) 572-3331-o, scrowley@edf.org
Andy Darrell – (917) 912-3605-c, adarrell@edf.org 
 
(Washington, DC – September 9, 2008)  Expanding transit now will help Americans get through tough economic times and cut our dependence on foreign oil, according to hearing testimony by a green transportation expert today before the Senate Banking Committee.
 
“Expanding transit now is just the right tonic to help get through tough economic times,” testified Andrew Darrell, Vice President for Living Cities Program at Environmental Defense Fund during a Senate Banking Committee hearing entitled: Strengthening the Ability of Public Transportation to Reduce Our Dependence on Foreign Oil.  “It is also a key solution to tackle climate change, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and boost the economic competitiveness of our population centers.”
 
A member of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Sustainability Advisory Board and a former member of the New York City Traffic Mitigation Commission, Darrell noted that during the first quarter of 2008, public transit ridership rose by 88 million trips compared to 2007 (see local ridership increases at www.climateatlas.org/transit.html). However, despite the resulting increase in revenue, transit networks can barely keep with increased operating costs and those increased revenues are certainly not enough to allow for capital investment in expansion.
 
“When Americans turn to transit, we believe it is essential to meet them at the subway station, at the bus stop, at the light rail stop with good and expanded service,” added Darrell. “Across the country, transit systems are trying hard to do just that – but they need financial help to meet growing demand.”
 
According to U.S. Public Interest Research Group, transportation is the second-largest household expense for the average American household, second only to shelter (and ahead of food). According to the Federal Highway Administration’s data, which has been gathered since 1942, the past year has brought the steepest decline in vehicle miles traveled ever recorded.  
 
Darrell’s urged immediate federal action to:
 
• Provide emergency grants to expand transit service to meet rising demand, for example by bringing new buses and rolling stock into the system quickly;
• Support transit innovation, for example through highly-efficient technologies, like light rail and bus-rapid-transit, that can deliver  transit results in communities that do not have good access now;
• Get the most out of existing networks, by providing financial support to ease the backlog of maintenance needs and upgrading signalization and other technologies that allow transit systems to work more efficiently;
• Expand access to transit, for example by making transit easier to access from residential areas through local van pools or encouraging residential development near transit hubs; and
• Invest in energy efficiency of transit networks.   A hybrid-electric transit bus, for example, uses far less fuel than a traditional diesel bus.
 
“America also needs a long term strategy,” Darrell concluded.  “The upcoming reauthorization of the federal transportation bill provides a remarkable opportunity to provide on [and] to dramatically expand the resources available to cities and states ready to deliver clean transportation choices.  Transit innovation, clean freight infrastructure and the best and most efficient technologies are essential not only for the environment, but also for America’s future economic competitiveness.”
 

One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund