Hanna, Slaughter Request Reinstatement of 5340 High Density Transportation Bill Funding

Congressmen Richard Hanna and Louise Slaughter are leading a national effort to fight for support of transit programs that are threatened by budget cuts.

The two have organized sixty members of Congress to request reinstatement of funding for the 5340 High Density States program, which was eliminated by the House Surface Transportation bill.

Hanna and Slaughter say that the affected states provide public transportation to half of all the public transit population in the United States.

The letter reads as follows:

November 10, 2015

To the Members of the Conference Committee:

The Herrera-Beutler amendment to the House-passed Surface Transportation Bill that passed by voice vote that eliminates funding for the 5340 High Density States program will create a crisis in the states that provide half of all public transportation in the United States at a time when demand for transit has never been higher. This amendment doesn’t just eliminate funding, it takes funding from a critical formula-based program and redirects it to a 100 percent discretionary program controlled by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Importantly, Chairman Shuster’s amendment vote recommendations, which were developed in concert with Ranking Member DeFazio subject to the “Big 4” agreement, recommended a NO vote on the Herrera-Beutler amendment. 

The elimination of funding to the High Density States program would force transit systems in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island to cut jobs and service, and eliminate the ability to meet demand and keep our respective systems in a state of good repair. A bill that was carefully crafted to do no harm and ensure no one lost anything now creates devastating loss in the areas where demand for public transportation is the highest. 

The effect of this hardship isn’t limited to transit providers and customers. The loss in funding will negatively impact local transit manufacturers and suppliers of transit related goods and services, as well as the jobs they create. We view this as an issue of responsible governance. An amendment that eliminates funding for states that provide public transportation to 50 percent of all transit riders in this country is irresponsible and can in no way be considered to be in the best interest of the people we all serve.

We strongly urge the Conference Committee to recede to the Senate’s position that retains the 5340 apportionments. We need a Surface Transportation Bill that maintains an appropriate level of funding to not only meet the current demand, but ensure people in these states have the ability to access jobs, education and health care.

Sincerely,
[EDITOR's NOTE: The list of those who signed the letter is at the bottom of this post.]

In a joint release from Reps. Hanna and Slaughter  the two said, "The elimination of funding to the High Density States program would force transit systems in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island to cut jobs and service..."

[NOTE: This post is currently being edited.]