Today, the South West Transit Association (SWTA) shared its support for significant transit investment in any upcoming infrastructure legislation, most notably the $48.5 billion intended for transit in the bipartisan infrastructure framework earlier this summer.

While there are substantial unmet needs to maintain and improve public transportation services nationwide, we also stress the growing need to support transit providers in our region – the SWTA Nation. States across the southwest

and Sun Belt have seen strong population growth over the past three decades, with metropolitan areas in the Sun Belt accounting for more than 40% of population growth between 2000 and 2016, according to the Kinder Institute. SWTA strongly supports that federal transit funding ensures a balanced distribution of investment nationwide based on data, as opposed to using either geography or political influence.

Additionally, robust levels of investment for all existing federal transit formula programs will ensure that transit agencies in the SWTA Nation have access to proportional levels of funding, matching President Ronald Reagan’s goal in the 1980s to achieve a 80-20 blend of investment between highways and transit.

View our full letter below.

States

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Downloads

SWTA Infrastructure Letter 7.28.21