“As Congress works to draft the Build Back Better Act, we have the once in a generation opportunity to advance bold and transformative investments in our public transit systems in order to support our communities,” said Rep. Pressley. “Safe, affordable and reliable public transportation is a public good and should be invested in as such. As communities across the nation, including throughout the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, work to combat the very real and urgent threat of climate change, policymakers have a moral responsibility to prioritize robust investments that will help make our public transit systems more accessible and sustainable for generations to come.”

“Diverse, working class communities like mine in Chicago need bold investments in public transportation, and unfortunately the Senate infrastructure bill perpetuates underinvestment and forces essential workers to rely on crumbling, antiquated transportation systems.  We must bring America’s infrastructure into the 21st century and begin to undo decades of disinvestment in communities of color,” said Rep. García. “At a time when communities from California to Florida are suffering climate emergencies, the Senate package fails to adequately address climate change. We can’t afford to wait: the transportation sector remains the largest contributor to U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and Congress must not lose this unique opportunity to make transformative investments in clean, reliable, and convenient public transportation alternatives.”

“The United Nations released its most recent report on climate change last month, and there’s not a lot of good news,” said Rep. Johnson. “Our emissions are warming the planet and threatening the health and safety of our future. We must act urgently and boldly. Transportation represents the largest sector of emissions in our country, and those emissions are rising. With the national spotlight on Congress over the future of infrastructure and the reconciliation package, now is the time to raise the volume on transit. We need more money for this essential service, but we also need to change our thinking about how we invest in transit. It’s not enough to just build rail lines and buy buses: agencies must also run more frequent service. It’s time for a bigger and bolder federal investment in public transit.”