New York Democratic Congressman Jerry Nadler is emerging as the engine powering an increase in transit funding.  The UTU is working closely with Nadler and others in Congress who recognize how essential public transit is to America’s working families.

Nadler’s Brooklyn and lower Manhattan district is one of the most densely populated in America, and as the senior Northeastern U.S. member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Nadler has energized scores of House colleagues to join him in strongly urging the House Appropriations Committee allocate some $15 billion for federal transit programs in fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1. This would be a significant increase beyond the $10.8 billion requested in President Obama’s FY2011 budget.

“It is essential that we provide sufficient federal funding to maintain our public transportation systems and increase their efficiency for riders,” Nadler told UTU National Legislative Director James Stem, who has been working with Nadler, his staff, others on Capitol Hill, and other transportation unions in support of increased transit funding.

Said Nadler: “According to the American Public Transportation Association, $14.88 billion is the amount necessary to keep our transit systems in a state of good repair and accommodate an expected doubling of ridership over the next 20 years.  During the current recession, transit funding will create and sustain thousands of quality jobs for hardworking Americans.”

Nadler and Stem are distributing data showing transit ridership has reached its highest level in five decades, and the demand for transit service is on the rise.  ”Unfortunately,” said Nadler, “public transportation agencies across the nation are finding it difficult to keep up with that demand, and, instead, have proposed job cuts, service reductions and fare hikes. This situation is likely to worsen as state and local governments are forced to make budget cuts in the face of economic recession and revenue shortfalls.”

While the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act helped to lessen the impact of the economic downturn by providing an additional $8.4 billion in transit capital funding — with almost 3,000 transit projects are under contract, creating 89,000 direct on-project jobs — Nadler said “much of this progress could be lost if we do not continue to provide adequate levels of investment in transit programs.”