“We completely ignore infrastructure when it works as intended, and we complain mightily when it doesn’t. Our nation needs to continually modernize and maintain its infrastructure to make the United States an attractive place for businesses to operate and for people to live. This requires collective action and sustained public investment in infrastructure notably at the federal level.”
Comedian John Oliver made similar points, humorously so, recently. Big business also made the case for infrastructure last month (maybe with a few fewer laughs).
But the quote above is from a statement by the American Public Transportation Association, which has organized a one-day nationwide campaign on Thursday, April 9th, called Stand Up for Transportation Day.
Designed to advocate for a long-term federal transportation funding bill in cities across the U.S., the event is a call for managing and maintaining the country’s infrastructure constantly — not just when a specific problem arises, such as a deteriorating bridge or stormwater flooding.
APTA’s rallying cry is tied to the current transportation funding bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), which is set to expire at the end of May (after a 10-month extension last September).
The bill originally authorized $10.6 billion in 2013 and $10.7 billion in 2014 for federal transit programs. The bill also allowed over $40 billion annually for highway programs and sought to deal with other transportation issues. Advocates want to secure a long-term bill that will last at least six years.
Over 200 transportation groups plan to join the cause this Thursday. Organizations will conduct various education and outreach activities to raise awareness for the need of infrastructure development funding across the country.
Some Next City staffers plan to attend Philly’s Stand Up for Transportation rally and will share pics. Tweet pics from your local events @NextCityOrg so we can share the movement with our followers.
Marielle Mondon is an editor and freelance journalist in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in Philadelphia City Paper, Wild Magazine, and PolicyMic. She previously reported on communities in Northern Manhattan while earning an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.
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