Office of Public Affairs
Prepared Remarks
for
Secretary LaHood
APTA Legislative Conference
March 9, 2009
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you, Tom Lucek.
On behalf of President Obama, I want to thank you for inviting me today to talk about the future of public transportation in this country.
I believe it is a very bright future!
Thank you, Bill Millar for being a tireless champion for transit in this country.
Thank you, Matt Welbes, for FTA’s great work to support transit—and get the economic recovery funds out the door!
I also want to thank all the transit industry leaders with us today.
Through good times and bad, you have kept the buses running, and the light rail and commuter trains humming.
Your industry has faced many challenges in recent years, and I know you’re looking for leadership and a way forward.
The Obama Administration gets it.
We know that healthy public transportation systems are essential to keep our economy moving.
Growing up in Hawaii, President Obama frequently rode the bus.
Vice President Biden rode Amtrak for years.
Many of the senior White House staff are from Chicago, where transit is a way of life.
In my home town of Peoria, Illinois, people depend on CityLink buses to get to work, to the doctor’s, and other important destinations.
Transit is a centerpiece of my focus on livable communities, and our Department will work closely with Vice President Biden's middle-class task force on transit initiatives.
Now let’s talk about how we’re going to keep transportation strong.
Congress has wisely awarded $8.4 billion to transit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
This historic investment will create or protect many good jobs.
And it will enable our nation to re-build, re-tool, and revitalize the rails, buses, trolleys, ferries, and other public transportation systems we depend on, in cities and towns across America.
How can you—the transit industry—spend these funds?
On any worthy capital project that’s ready to go—any project that will help your system run better, and improve service for your customers.
You can invest in preventive maintenance. Change the oil or fix the brakes on your buses and trains.
Buy new train cars. Build a new bus depot. Refurbish a station.
All these projects, and more, will be 100% federally funded.
This is truly a win-win – for transit and for America.
These funds will be on their way to you shortly—within a matter of weeks, at most.
But the good news doesn’t end there.
The recovery package also includes $8 billion in new funding for high-speed rail corridors around the nation.
We know that strong intercity rail plus strong public transportation add up to a winning formula for travelers.
The President sees this investment as an important part of his legacy that will reduce our carbon footprint, and relieve congestion on the roads and in the skies.
To ensure that all these investments succeed, we owe the American people full transparency and accountability.
All projects will be posted for the American public to review, on recovery.gov.
We’ve also put together a team of senior DOT officials to track and monitor the money, and make sure that our portion of recovery funding goes out to states and localities as quickly as possible.
It’s our way of ensuring the money will be spent as intended. No earmarks. No boondoggles. No secrets.
And make no mistake: Your agencies will be required to report progress, including job creation, on a regular basis, as part of this process.
As President Harry Truman once said, “America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
With the funds provided by this landmark legislation, we are going to get the job done.
And we will build on our success to help Congress pass an effective and innovative new authorization bill for surface transportation. A bill that is fair to transit, and promotes our goals for sustainability, safety, and livable communities.
With your cooperation and assistance, together we will build the most successful transportation system in our history—and help to restore the American dream.
Thank you.