NEW ORLEANS – As part of the national Stand Up For Transportation Day of Action that includes events across the country, Mayor Landrieu called upon Congress to renew funding for the federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which is set to expire on May 31, 2015. Mayor Landrieu joins a bipartisan group of mayors and over 300 organizations from across the country, all representing more than 150 cities and spanning 40 states.
“As we’ve shown in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, investment in transportation and infrastructure not only creates jobs, but connects our residents to the tens of thousands of jobs being created across our region,” said Mayor Landrieu. “Diverse, adequate and dependable transportation alternatives ensure that every resident has the opportunity to share in our city’s economic growth – benefitting both families and job creators. Statewide, a federal study released just this week shows that more than 1,800 bridges throughout Louisiana are in need of repair as the state faces a severe budget crisis. Our needs are great, and we must take immediate action. I call on Congress to push politics aside and renew this transportation bill so that we can create jobs, connect families to those jobs and once again invest in America’s future.”
In addition to mayors, a broad coalition of transportation providers, businesses, transportation system users, state partners and others are calling on Congress to pass a long-term transportation bill that increases investments in our transportation infrastructure. On the national level, a new analysis from American Public Transportation Association shows that more than $227 billion in economic productivity is at risk over the next six years without long-term federal investment in transit.
The nation faces a $160 billion backlog just to bring public transit and road systems into a state of good repair. Supporters say the lack of a long-term federal funding bill creates local funding uncertainty, which jeopardizes transportation project planning and discourages private sector investment. With a lack of a commitment on the federal level, that stifles local business investment and job creation in our city and nationwide.
A long-term, fully funded transportation bill must include robust investment for all modes of transportation, supporters say. Transit ridership surged to 10.8 billion trips last year, Amtrak ridership continues to hit record highs, bicycle commuting has increased 60 percent since 2005, and national freight tonnage is projected to increase by 25 percent in the next decade.
Supporters believe federal investment has not kept pace with this demand, resulting in an outdated, overburdened surface transportation system that is ill-equipped to handle current, let alone future, needs. Across the United States, public transit maintenance needs exceed $77 billion, and the nation’s bridge backlog alone is an estimated $121 billion. The HTF, which funds most highway and transit spending, is almost depleted and the federal government is struggling to maintain the status quo, much less make new investments.
To learn more about Stand Up for Transportation Day
