Fw: Time to stop disproportionate cuts to transit and passenger rail

[Barbara Rivero]

this will help us all!

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Stephen Lee Davis, Transportation for America" <in...@t4america.org>
To: chama...@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 11:45 AM
Subject: Time to stop disproportionate cuts to transit and passenger rail

New transit construction, Amtrak and TIGER grants were cut five times more than highway programs in the sequester. But the new Senate budget could help prevent those kinds of cuts in the future. Tell Congress to build on that budget and find new revenue for transportation. Dear Barbara, Did you know that Amtrak passenger rail, new public transit construction and the innovative TIGER program just had their budgets slashed in sequestration at a rate five times higher than traditional highway programs? Though it seems mostly bad news comes from Washington these days, there is some good amidst the bad to report! There's no way to prevent those cuts this year, but the Senate's new budget for the next ten years — the first they've approved in years — lays the groundwork to create dedicated funding for transit, passenger rail and the innovative competitive TIGER projects, as well as generating new revenues for transportation. Can you take a minute to thank the Senate for recognizing the importance of 21st century transportation investments and urge Congress to build on this budget and find new revenues for transportation while protecting these important programs? At a time when transportation funds aren’t keeping pace with what we need to maintain AND build, the Senate’s bold plan could very well become the foundation to raise new money for transportation and create dedicated revenues for programs that help give us new options for how to get around. Sequestration disproportionately cut the very programs that do the most to provide all of us with more ways to get around — new streetcars or bus rapid transit lines, competitive TIGER grants for innovative projects all over the country, and passenger rail that’s continuing to break ridership records. The Senate’s plan could be the beginning of a new unified trust fund or a tax reform plan that raises new money for transportation — which could help protect these programs from these kinds of disproportionate cuts they just received. So let’s make sure that the Senate and the House know that we need to both increase investments in transportation and protect the money that gives us more options for how to get around. Take action today. Stephen Lee Davis Deputy Communications Director Transportation for America      You're receiving this message because the email address chama...@yahoo.com is signed up with Transportation for America. You may unsubscribe here at any time. Transportation For America in...@t4america.org 1707 L Street NW #1050 Washington, DC 20036