Federal Stimulus

Urgent Action: Billions for Transit in Jeopardy

A Senate amendment full of spending cuts would strip $3.4 billion in transit funding from the stimulus package, Greg Sargent reports. One of the few areas that might get a spending increase in the amendment is highways. The amendment, sponsored by Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Ben Nelson, is seen as a bipartisan compromise that will likely clear the way for the whole bill to pass. There is time to prevent the amendment from including these steep cuts in transit funding, which would drop the total for transit almost in half.

By Ben Fried

3:05 PM EST on February 6, 2009

A Senate amendment full of spending cuts would strip $3.4 billion in transit funding from the stimulus package, Greg Sargent reports. One of the few areas that might get a spending increase in the amendment is highways. The amendment, sponsored by Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Ben Nelson, is seen as a bipartisan compromise that will likely clear the way for the whole bill to pass. There is time to prevent the amendment from including these steep cuts in transit funding, which would drop the total for transit almost in half.

Readers should call your senators and make clear that it is unacceptable for any amendment to raid public transit and increase highway spending. The number for the Senate switchboard is (202) 224-3121, or you can look up your senator here.

Update: Head over to the Transportation for America action alert for concise talking points. We hear the Senate is getting bombarded with calls, so dial a few times if you don’t get through immediately. If you’re still getting a busy signal, you can also follow this link and use the email forms to contact your senators.

Ben Fried

Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

Federal Stimulus