Public Health… Energy… the Economy: What’s Public Transit Got to do With It?

Thursday, January 15, 2004

1:00 – 2:30 pm, 902 Hart Senate Office Building

(click here for PDF version)

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a Congressional briefing to examine the critical role of public transit in reducing oil dependence, bolstering our economy, and protecting the public from harmful air emissions. The transportation sector is our nation's fastest growing user of energy and is associated with increased oil dependence, poor air quality, and a growth in greenhouse gas emissions. A strong public transportation system can reduce these negative effects while simultaneously promoting economically viable communities. Business and local leaders, for example are recognizing the economic benefits of efficient transportation and locating their businesses in transit friendly neighborhoods. New research also shows that increased use of public transportation offers the most effective strategy available for reducing energy consumption and improving the environment

 The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, which authorizes federal funding for highway, highway safety and transit spending, expired September 30th, 2003 and was extended until February 29th, 2004.  Both the House and Senate have held extensive hearings on this reauthorization, in which billions of dollars are at stake and which will have major impacts on energy, health, the economy and the environment. Members of Congress expect to debate and vote in the coming weeks on transportation legislation that will form the new agenda for investment over the next six years. This briefing provided policymakers and others suggestions on how the public can reap maximum value from our nation's transportation investments.

 Briefing Panelists: 

Ø   Robert Shapiro, Ph.D., Chairman, Sonecon, LLC, an economic advisory firm, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He was Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs under President Clinton and co-authored the study, Conserving Energy and Preserving the Environment: The Role of Public Transportation. (Click Here for Remarks) (Click Here for Study)

Ø   Sarah Kline, Minority Counsel, Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The Senate Banking Committee is responsible for Senate authorization of federal transit programs.

Ø   Lawrence Frank, Ph.D., Professor and Bombardier Chair, University of British Columbia, and director of projects in Atlanta, GA and Seattle, WA conducting extensive work on the connection between public health and transportation planning. (Click Here for Presentation)

Ø Gerald Roper, President and CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Director, National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit, which seeks to educate the public, policymakers and the media on the economic benefits of transit investments. (Click Here for Report and Insert)

 The briefing highlighted some of the following

 ¨         Indicators are encouraging regarding the public's interest in utilizing public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), public transit ridership increased more than 24 percent since 1995, faster than growth in highway or air travel. The study, Conserving Energy and Preserving the Environment: The Role of Public Transportation, commissioned by APTA and published in July 2002, examines the energy efficiency and emissions reductions public transit systems achieve compared to personal motor vehicles

 ¨         States and regional transportation planners in the Atlanta and Seattle regions recognize the interaction of public health, energy use, air pollution and land-use planning and are supporting efforts to integrate these data to develop new approaches to transportation investment and planning. With support from federal, state and local agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Transit Administration, and the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program, these projects take an interdisciplinary approach to achieve a new set of goals.

 ¨                   Businesses are encouraging federal transit investment as they recognize the economic benefits of efficient transportation for their workforce and productivity. In regions like Atlanta and Chicago, companies are relocating from suburban to central metropolitan locations around transit hubs. The National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit, composed of 20 major metropolitan business organizations seeks to educate the public, policymakers and the media on the economic need for transit investment.