— L E G I S L A T I V E R E P O R T —Emergency Oper<strong>at</strong>ing AssistanceBill Introduced in Sen<strong>at</strong>eWith t<strong>he</strong> full support of t<strong>he</strong> ATU, on May 25, Sen<strong>at</strong>or Christop<strong>he</strong>rDodd, D-CT, introduced t<strong>he</strong> Public Transport<strong>at</strong>ion Preserv<strong>at</strong>ionAct of 2010. T<strong>he</strong> bill was designed to address a growing mobility crisisth<strong>at</strong> is impacting almost every community in America.It would provide $2 billion for emergency support of publictransport<strong>at</strong>ion agencies n<strong>at</strong>ionwide, allowing t<strong>he</strong>m to reverse or avoid deepservice cuts, steep fare increases, and life-altering layoffs th<strong>at</strong> are cripplingAmerican families. Sen<strong>at</strong>ors Robert Menendez, D-NJ; Dick Durbin, D-IL;Charles Schumer, D-NY; Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ; S<strong>he</strong>rrod Brown, D-OH;Jack Reed, D-RI; and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY; cosponsored t<strong>he</strong> legisl<strong>at</strong>ion.Intern<strong>at</strong>ional President Warren S. George endorsed t<strong>he</strong> legisl<strong>at</strong>ionst<strong>at</strong>ing, “Affordable, convenient public transit keeps cars off t<strong>he</strong> road,reduces traffic and congestion and improves t<strong>he</strong> air quality in ourcommunities. Since January 2009, six out of ten public transit systems int<strong>he</strong> U.S. have cut service, raised fares, or both; thousands of transit workershave been laid off; and millions of commuters have less access to publictransport<strong>at</strong>ion. Without emergency action, t<strong>he</strong> problem will get worse– seven out of 10 transit systems are facing deficits in t<strong>he</strong> coming year.”Dodd, t<strong>he</strong> outgoing chair of t<strong>he</strong> Sen<strong>at</strong>e Banking Committee who isretiring from Congress <strong>at</strong> t<strong>he</strong> end of this year, is desper<strong>at</strong>ely trying tomove t<strong>he</strong> bill before more service cuts occur. “While families continue tostruggle to make ends meet t<strong>he</strong> last thing we should do is make it harderand more expensive for people to get to work. This bill will preventdisruptive service cuts and <strong>he</strong>lp put money back in t<strong>he</strong> pockets of familiesw<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>y need it most,” said Dodd.T<strong>he</strong> $2 billion provided for emergency relief would hopefully closefunding gaps in oper<strong>at</strong>ing costs. <strong>Transit</strong> agencies could use t<strong>he</strong> fundsto reduce fare increases, rehire workers, and restore services th<strong>at</strong> werecut after January 2009, or to prevent future service cuts, layoffs, or fareincreases through September 2011. Agencies th<strong>at</strong> have not increased faresor cut services and do not plan to do so may use t<strong>he</strong> funds for capitalimprovements, such as t<strong>he</strong> purchase of buses.Over 4,000 Laid-OffMore than 4,000 workers in t<strong>he</strong> public transport<strong>at</strong>ion industry havebeen laid off since t<strong>he</strong> 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 eit<strong>he</strong>r of those actions. Nearly seven in 10 project budgetshortfalls in t<strong>he</strong>ir next fiscal year.One place hit particularly hard has been t<strong>he</strong> city of Chicago. Since 2009,t<strong>he</strong> Chicago <strong>Transit</strong> Authority (CTA) has laid-off 1,099 ATU members andmade significant cuts on t<strong>he</strong> bus side. “Nearly two million daily riders andmore than 15,000 employees in t<strong>he</strong> Chicago area have been impacted bybudget shortfalls caused by t<strong>he</strong> recession,” said Sen<strong>at</strong>or Durbin. “Today’sbill will <strong>he</strong>lp Chicago and 13 ot<strong>he</strong>r transit agencies across Illinois avoidlayoffs and prevent drastic service cuts and fare hikes this summer.”Simply No Ot<strong>he</strong>r OptionUnder current law, t<strong>he</strong> majority of transit systems do not have t<strong>he</strong>flexibility to use t<strong>he</strong>ir federal funds for oper<strong>at</strong>ing assistance. T<strong>he</strong>refore,while many agencies have purchased new buses, t<strong>he</strong>y do not have t<strong>he</strong>ability to put such vehicles into service. Federal oper<strong>at</strong>ing assistance isneeded to <strong>he</strong>lp keep t<strong>he</strong> buses rolling in our communities. For manytransit-dependent people, especially seniors and people with disabilities,t<strong>he</strong>re is simply no ot<strong>he</strong>r option.With concern over t<strong>he</strong> n<strong>at</strong>ional debt increasing, passing t<strong>he</strong> bill willbe an uphill b<strong>at</strong>tle. ATU ran radio ads in several st<strong>at</strong>es over t<strong>he</strong> trafficcloggedMemorial Day weekend urging Republican sen<strong>at</strong>ors to supportt<strong>he</strong> legisl<strong>at</strong>ion.T<strong>he</strong> ads drew a link between <strong>he</strong>avy traffic and air pollution and urgedt<strong>he</strong> public to support transit oper<strong>at</strong>ing aid. ATU members are highlyencouraged to contact t<strong>he</strong>ir sen<strong>at</strong>ors and urge t<strong>he</strong>m to cosponsor t<strong>he</strong> PublicTransport<strong>at</strong>ion Preserv<strong>at</strong>ion Act of 2010, Sen<strong>at</strong>e Bill Number 3412.Sen. Christop<strong>he</strong>r Dodd, D-CT, has workedclosely with t<strong>he</strong> ATU in introducing t<strong>he</strong>emergency oper<strong>at</strong>ing assistance legisl<strong>at</strong>ion.T<strong>he</strong> bill could fill n<strong>at</strong>ionwide gaps in transitoper<strong>at</strong>ing funding.Sen. S<strong>he</strong>rrod Brown, D-OH, spoke <strong>at</strong> t<strong>he</strong> ATU-CTAA rally in March advoc<strong>at</strong>ing his own billwhich would provide transit properties witht<strong>he</strong> flexibility to use a portion of t<strong>he</strong>ir federalsupport for oper<strong>at</strong>ing expenses.Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, center, one oft<strong>he</strong> co-sponsors of t<strong>he</strong> emergency oper<strong>at</strong>ingassistance legisl<strong>at</strong>ion, met with t<strong>he</strong> New Yorkdeleg<strong>at</strong>ion to t<strong>he</strong> ATU Legisl<strong>at</strong>ive Conferencein March.One of t<strong>he</strong> co-sponsors of t<strong>he</strong> emergencyoper<strong>at</strong>ing assistance bill, Sen. KirstenGillibrand, D-NY, met with t<strong>he</strong> New Yorkdeleg<strong>at</strong>es to t<strong>he</strong> ATU Legisl<strong>at</strong>ive Conferencein March.10 IN TRANSIT www.<strong>at</strong>u.org
Canadian Agendahow do you get to ‘transit city?’Public transit continues to be a hot topic in urban Canada, and t<strong>he</strong>ATU is a central player in th<strong>at</strong> discussion. T<strong>he</strong> hottest r<strong>he</strong>toric iscoming out of Toronto, w<strong>he</strong>re t<strong>he</strong> never-ending deb<strong>at</strong>e on transit planningand funding has become a factor in t<strong>he</strong> mayoral race.T<strong>he</strong> issue took center stage in l<strong>at</strong>e April w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong> Ontario governmentdecided to cut promised funding for provincial transit improvements by$4 billion. This would have an adverse effect on Toronto’s “<strong>Transit</strong> City”program which envisions t<strong>he</strong> municipality as a model of urban mobility.Retiring Mayor David Miller was furious, and in a letter written toOntario’s Premier Dalton McGuinty, <strong>he</strong> insisted, “T<strong>he</strong> plan for <strong>Transit</strong> Cityth<strong>at</strong> t<strong>he</strong> premier envisioned is not wh<strong>at</strong> Metrolinx (t<strong>he</strong> province’s transitplanning arm) is going to build.” Miller said t<strong>he</strong> premier and province neededto go back to t<strong>he</strong> original plan, or t<strong>he</strong> entire project could be in jeopardy.ATU Canadian Director Robin West also responded, April 29,asserting, “T<strong>he</strong> Ontario provincial government’s decision to cancelpreviously promised funding for public transit is shortsighted and foolish.T<strong>he</strong>se cuts will have a neg<strong>at</strong>ive impact on transit systems throughoutOntario.”T<strong>he</strong> Canadian Council urged t<strong>he</strong> provincial government to reinst<strong>at</strong>efunding levels for public transit immedi<strong>at</strong>ely.A Compromise?Backroom talks between t<strong>he</strong> TTC, t<strong>he</strong> province and Metrolinx ensued,resulting in a rough compromise: Much of t<strong>he</strong> original <strong>Transit</strong> City planwould be completed within 10 years (instead of eight).But, t<strong>he</strong> mayor was not appeased. He contended th<strong>at</strong> everything after2015 might as well have been unfunded because t<strong>he</strong> promised moneywasn’t t<strong>he</strong>re yet. And so, <strong>he</strong> warned, t<strong>he</strong> province was effectively denyingtransit to t<strong>he</strong> inner suburbs which need it most:“It is not honest to say to Torontonians th<strong>at</strong> t<strong>he</strong> Finch and ScarboroughRT are going to go a<strong>he</strong>ad w<strong>he</strong>n t<strong>he</strong>re isn’t a funding commitment forit. Th<strong>at</strong> is t<strong>he</strong> fact,” Miller said. “T<strong>he</strong>re’s no money for those lines. Andthose lines are essential.“All t<strong>he</strong> money on offer will do is build part of an Eglinton LRT. Th<strong>at</strong>’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 t<strong>he</strong> transport<strong>at</strong>ion t<strong>he</strong>y need,” Miller declared.Metrolinx President Rob Prichard argues th<strong>at</strong>’s not t<strong>he</strong> case, andth<strong>at</strong> Metrolinx is investing too much money up front not to make t<strong>he</strong>seprojects a reality.MoneyWh<strong>at</strong>ever t<strong>he</strong> outcome, Ottawa’s budget shortfall is bedevillingprovincial transit planning just as surely as st<strong>at</strong>e and local deficits arecrippling American transit systems.All of this is happening against t<strong>he</strong> backdrop of a Toronto mayoralcampaign, and candid<strong>at</strong>es have felt compelled to advance t<strong>he</strong>ir own transitplans prior to t<strong>he</strong> election. T<strong>he</strong> obvious problem for each candid<strong>at</strong>e is tocome up with a credible way of funding transit in Toronto.Solutions?Two candid<strong>at</strong>es say t<strong>he</strong>y’re open to letting Metrolinx take over allor part of t<strong>he</strong> TTC, thus passing th<strong>at</strong> expense on to an external publicagency. But th<strong>at</strong> plan has met with strong opposition from those whobelieve th<strong>at</strong> 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 t<strong>he</strong>ir cars and improving t<strong>he</strong>environment. But, taxes and tolls are about as popular in Canada as t<strong>he</strong>yare in t<strong>he</strong> United St<strong>at</strong>es.‘Ad Hocery’While t<strong>he</strong> search for a workable transit solution continues, a certainamount of frustr<strong>at</strong>ion is building among t<strong>he</strong> n<strong>at</strong>ion’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 wh<strong>at</strong> for cities. Rightnow, we have an ‘ad hocery’ – a little bit of this, and a little bit of th<strong>at</strong>,”Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said. “We need an agreement rightnow to determine t<strong>he</strong> responsibilities of t<strong>he</strong> three levels of governmentand how t<strong>he</strong>y will be financed.Such an agreement would be a historic accomplishment for Canada’smunicipalities. It could lead to t<strong>he</strong> development of stable, long-termfunding sources for Canada’s transit systems – something needed in bothof our countries.www.<strong>at</strong>u.org MAY / JUNE 2010 11