U.S. House Proposes Harmful Transportation Bill H.R. 7

"Don't own a car?! Don't want to pay high gas prices? Too bad!"
 
That's essentially the message the U.S. House is sending with its latest surface transportation and infrastructure reauthorization bill, called The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act {H.R. 7}.

H.R. 7 makes a shocking attack on public transportation by proposing to eliminate the gaurantee for dedicated funding for public transit. This would significantly damage our public mass transit systems, leaving millions of riders already faced with service cuts and fare increases out in the cold.

H.R. 7 represents one of the most dramatic and retrograde transportation policy shifts in decades, designed to benefit highways and auto transportation, and nothing more. Here are just a few things the bill does:

Eliminates dedicated funding for public transportation.

Slashes Amtrak funding by 25%.

Prevents any federal funding from going toward the California High Speed Rail project, specifically.

Bars any funds from bus and bus facilities grants from going to any transit system that also operated any kind of rail line. This includes the Chicago Transit Authority, and transit agencies in New York, San Francisco and other cities.

Eliminates funding for programs such as Safe Routes to School, sidewalks, or cycling infrastructure, making streets more dangerous and roads less safe for children and others on foot or bike.

Expands domestic energy production to fund any gaps in highway spending. It will do little for decreasing the American reliance on foreign oil.

Read this article for a more detailed summary: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2012/02/06/time-to-fight/
 
These new policies would dramatically impact high-speed rail development in the United States. H.R. 7 represents a clear disinvestment from rail as a transportation alternative. Moreover, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association has always felt that transit and high-speed rail are two inextricably linked policy issues. Both are part of an integrated network that would provide multimodal options to all intercity travelers.

 
Call your representative TODAY and urge them to oppose H.R. 7! Click here for some additional talking points.
 
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