What's he lookin' at? - Amalgamated Transit Union

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— L E G I S L A T I V E R E P O R T —Emergency Operating AssistanceBill Introduced in SenateWith the full support of the ATU, on May 25, Senator ChristopherDodd, D-CT, introduced the Public Transportation PreservationAct of 2010. The bill was designed to address a growing mobility crisisthat is impacting almost every community in America.It would provide $2 billion for emergency support of publictransportation agencies nationwide, allowing them to reverse or avoid deepservice cuts, steep fare increases, and life-altering layoffs that are cripplingAmerican families. Senators Robert Menendez, D-NJ; Dick Durbin, D-IL;Charles Schumer, D-NY; Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ; Sherrod Brown, D-OH;Jack Reed, D-RI; and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY; cosponsored the legislation.International President Warren S. George endorsed the legislationstating, “Affordable, convenient public transit keeps cars off the road,reduces traffic and congestion and improves the air quality in ourcommunities. Since January 2009, six out of ten public transit systems inthe U.S. have cut service, raised fares, or both; thousands of transit workershave been laid off; and millions of commuters have less access to publictransportation. Without emergency action, the problem will get worse– seven out of 10 transit systems are facing deficits in the coming year.”Dodd, the outgoing chair of the Senate Banking Committee who isretiring from Congress at the end of this year, is desperately trying tomove the bill before more service cuts occur. “While families continue tostruggle to make ends meet the last thing we should do is make it harderand more expensive for people to get to work. This bill will preventdisruptive service cuts and help put money back in the pockets of familieswhen they need it most,” said Dodd.The $2 billion provided for emergency relief would hopefully closefunding gaps in operating costs. Transit agencies could use the fundsto reduce fare increases, rehire workers, and restore services that werecut after January 2009, or to prevent future service cuts, layoffs, or fareincreases through September 2011. Agencies that have not increased faresor cut services and do not plan to do so may use the funds for capitalimprovements, such as the purchase of buses.Over 4,000 Laid-OffMore than 4,000 workers in the public transportation industry havebeen laid off since the beginning of 2009 – a significant percentage of a“green” workforce. According to a recent industry survey, since January1, 2009, 84% of transit systems have raised fares, cut service or areconsidering either of those actions. Nearly seven in 10 project budgetshortfalls in their next fiscal year.One place hit particularly hard has been the city of Chicago. Since 2009,the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has laid-off 1,099 ATU members andmade significant cuts on the bus side. “Nearly two million daily riders andmore than 15,000 employees in the Chicago area have been impacted bybudget shortfalls caused by the recession,” said Senator Durbin. “Today’sbill will help Chicago and 13 other transit agencies across Illinois avoidlayoffs and prevent drastic service cuts and fare hikes this summer.”Simply No Other OptionUnder current law, the majority of transit systems do not have theflexibility to use their federal funds for operating assistance. Therefore,while many agencies have purchased new buses, they do not have theability to put such vehicles into service. Federal operating assistance isneeded to help keep the buses rolling in our communities. For manytransit-dependent people, especially seniors and people with disabilities,there is simply no other option.With concern over the national debt increasing, passing the bill willbe an uphill battle. ATU ran radio ads in several states over the trafficcloggedMemorial Day weekend urging Republican senators to supportthe legislation.The ads drew a link between heavy traffic and air pollution and urgedthe public to support transit operating aid. ATU members are highlyencouraged to contact their senators and urge them to cosponsor the PublicTransportation Preservation Act of 2010, Senate Bill Number 3412.Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-CT, has workedclosely with the ATU in introducing theemergency operating assistance legislation.The bill could fill nationwide gaps in transitoperating funding.Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, spoke at the ATU-CTAA rally in March advocating his own billwhich would provide transit properties withthe flexibility to use a portion of their federalsupport for operating expenses.Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, center, one ofthe co-sponsors of the emergency operatingassistance legislation, met with the New Yorkdelegation to the ATU Legislative Conferencein March.One of the co-sponsors of the emergencyoperating assistance bill, Sen. KirstenGillibrand, D-NY, met with the New Yorkdelegates to the ATU Legislative Conferencein March.10 IN TRANSIT www.atu.org
Canadian Agendahow do you get to ‘transit city?’Public transit continues to be a hot topic in urban Canada, and theATU is a central player in that discussion. The hottest rhetoric iscoming out of Toronto, where the never-ending debate on transit planningand funding has become a factor in the mayoral race.The issue took center stage in late April when the Ontario governmentdecided to cut promised funding for provincial transit improvements by$4 billion. This would have an adverse effect on Toronto’s “Transit City”program which envisions the municipality as a model of urban mobility.Retiring Mayor David Miller was furious, and in a letter written toOntario’s Premier Dalton McGuinty, he insisted, “The plan for Transit Citythat the premier envisioned is not what Metrolinx (the province’s transitplanning arm) is going to build.” Miller said the premier and province neededto go back to the original plan, or the entire project could be in jeopardy.ATU Canadian Director Robin West also responded, April 29,asserting, “The Ontario provincial government’s decision to cancelpreviously promised funding for public transit is shortsighted and foolish.These cuts will have a negative impact on transit systems throughoutOntario.”The Canadian Council urged the provincial government to reinstatefunding levels for public transit immediately.A Compromise?Backroom talks between the TTC, the province and Metrolinx ensued,resulting in a rough compromise: Much of the original Transit City planwould be completed within 10 years (instead of eight).But, the mayor was not appeased. He contended that everything after2015 might as well have been unfunded because the promised moneywasn’t there yet. And so, he warned, the province was effectively denyingtransit to the inner suburbs which need it most:“It is not honest to say to Torontonians that the Finch and ScarboroughRT are going to go ahead when there isn’t a funding commitment forit. That is the fact,” Miller said. “There’s no money for those lines. Andthose lines are essential.“All the money on offer will do is build part of an Eglinton LRT. That’sall. So you’ll get essentially a subway from Leaside to Forest Hill, . . . butpeople in Jane-Finch, Rexdale and Scarborough, particularly Scarborough,are not going to get the transportation they need,” Miller declared.Metrolinx President Rob Prichard argues that’s not the case, andthat Metrolinx is investing too much money up front not to make theseprojects a reality.MoneyWhatever the outcome, Ottawa’s budget shortfall is bedevillingprovincial transit planning just as surely as state and local deficits arecrippling American transit systems.All of this is happening against the backdrop of a Toronto mayoralcampaign, and candidates have felt compelled to advance their own transitplans prior to the election. The obvious problem for each candidate is tocome up with a credible way of funding transit in Toronto.Solutions?Two candidates say they’re open to letting Metrolinx take over allor part of the TTC, thus passing that expense on to an external publicagency. But that plan has met with strong opposition from those whobelieve that Toronto transit must remain under Toronto’s control.Congestion taxes and road tolls have also been suggested as a wayof funding transit, getting people out of their cars and improving theenvironment. But, taxes and tolls are about as popular in Canada as theyare in the United States.‘Ad Hocery’While the search for a workable transit solution continues, a certainamount of frustration is building among the nation’s mayors whowould like to see a little more orderly process developed with regard toinfrastructure projects.“It’s time for a clearer picture of who does what for cities. Rightnow, we have an ‘ad hocery’ – a little bit of this, and a little bit of that,”Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said. “We need an agreement rightnow to determine the responsibilities of the three levels of governmentand how they will be financed.Such an agreement would be a historic accomplishment for Canada’smunicipalities. It could lead to the development of stable, long-termfunding sources for Canada’s transit systems – something needed in bothof our countries.www.atu.org MAY / JUNE 2010 11
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What's he lookin' at? - Amalgamated Transit Union

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