|
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will partner with transit agencies and transportation supporters across the nation Tuesday, September 20, 2011 as part of the national Don’t X Out Public Transportation Day. The Don’t X Out Public Transportation Day campaign encourages Americans to contact Congress and ask legislators to oppose planned transportation funding cuts. Currently, there is a proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives to cut highway and public transportation funding by more than 30%. If passed, those cuts will not only cripple transit service throughout the country, but they will hinder our nation’s ability to repair crumbling roads, bridges and vital transportation infrastructure.
 As part of the Don’t X Out Public Transportation Day, all PSTA Bus Operators will be encouraged to hand out business sized cards with information about the campaign and how riders can easily contact legislators. PSTA and transportation agencies around the country will be spreading the word that the proposed cuts will have a drastic impact on millions of Americans who rely on public transit and our transportation infrastructure every day.
“The proposed cuts would severely impact PSTA’s ability to maintain current levels of transit service, which already lag behind other similarly sized metropolitan areas,” says PSTA CEO Brad Miller. “They would also hinder our ability to replace and repair aging vehicles.”
The cuts would also negatively affect the economy. The American Public Transportation Association estimates that the cuts would result in the loss of 614,000 jobs nationwide over the next six years. “As our country looks for ways to strengthen the economy for this generation, and those to follow, investment in public transit provides a viable and sustainable solution,” says PSTA Board Chair R.B. Johnson. “Most people don’t realize that public transit is one of the best job creators in the nation. In fact, for every billion dollars invested, mass transit creates or supports 36,000 jobs. So I encourage everyone in our region who rides public transit, drives on our roads or wishes to boost the economy, to join us and urge Congress not to cut transit funding.”
For more information, visit PSTA.net or supporttransit.org.
|