Nation’s largest transit systems partner with business community to highlight “‘shovel-ready” projects, strengthening of metro economies

CHICAGO – The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace are joining a national delegation of transit and business leaders in Washington, D.C. during the White House Jobs Summit to showcase the benefits of investing in the “ready-to-go” mass transit infrastructure projects that will create and sustain jobs and protect the environment immediately and into the next several decades.  

With a successful track record of using federal stimulus funds for transit projects in hand, an alliance of the nation’s top metro transit systems, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, among others, are partnering with corresponding chambers of commerce to meet with the White House Office of Urban Affairs, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and key members of Congress to highlight transit’s critical infrastructure needs and the opportunity to invest in creating jobs and boosting the economic recovery.

Earlier this year, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released a study, at the request of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, which identified current needs for the largest transit systems in the country. According to the study, the seven largest transit systems, including Chicago, account for approximately 80% of total annual rail trips, but suffer from a backlog of $50 billion in repair needs.  

“There is not a more critical time to be investing in transit,” said Steve Schlickman, RTA Executive Director.   “When it comes to our national goals of increasing economic development and job creation, and reducing dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gases, transit is prepared with projects we can work on immediately and produce real results.”  Schlickman noted that according to recent studies, every $1.25 billion investment in transit repair and maintenance projects generates over 51,000 jobs.

While transit systems across the country have a long list of “shovel-ready” projects, the transit and business delegation is also highlighting long-term economic returns of investments in transit.  From sustainable development to economic growth to reducing auto emissions, the group will showcase how transit agencies effectively utilized funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approved earlier this year to help the economy recover and create jobs.  As a pending surface transportation reauthorization program and a potential “jobs bill” are reviewed in Congress, the transit and business communities will meet with lawmakers to promote how transit infrastructure investments can continue to create jobs and lay the foundation for long term economic growth.

“We know that every dollar invested in transit yields eight dollars in local economic activity”, said Jerry Roper, CEO Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.  “Not only does public transit bring people to and from their jobs, but it will stimulate local economies now and for years to come.”

Participating transit and business organizations include:

Transit Agencies – Metropolitan Rail Discussion Group
Regional Transportation Authority (Greater Chicago region - RTA)
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Pace Suburban Bus (Greater Chicago region - Pace)
Metra Commuter Rail (Greater Chicago region - Metra)
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transportation Authority (MARTA)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (CRTA)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAMTA)
New Jersey Transit (NJT)
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York - NYMTA)
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Bay Area Rapid Transit (San Francisco area - BART)
SF Metropolitan Transportation Commission (SFMTC)
SF Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni)
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Washington, D.C. - WMATA)
National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Greater Cleveland Partnership
Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Oakland Chamber of Commerce
Bay Area Council (San Francisco)
The Partnership for New York City

About Moving Beyond Congestion
Moving Beyond Congestion is a joint strategic plan including the RTA and its Service Boards: the CTA bus and train, Metra commuter rail and Pace suburban bus and paratransit service. The goal is to improve and expand transit in northeastern Illinois.  For more information, visit www.MovingBeyondCongestion.org.

About National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit
The mission of the National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit (NBCRT) is to articulate the business community's belief in increased federal funding for rapid transit projects and to work with other national transit advocacy organizations, such as the New Start Working Group, the United States Conference of Mayors and the American Public Transportation Association, in order to advance federal support for mass transit.

About Metropolitan Rail Discussion Group
MRDG is a group of large transit systems that have come together to find common principles and goals for the new authorization of the federal transit and highway programs.  Members include transit authorities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston, San Francisco, Washington, Atlanta, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.  These systems represent metropolitan areas where transit use is intensive, high capacity rail and fixed guideway networks are critical, and the existing transit infrastructure is in dire need of reinvestment.