Public transportation lobbying is looking for more federal funding. The good news is that there have been some positive moves in this regard. Stimulus Aid has been put in place by President Joe Biden, which will see $30 million given to the public transport sector. This is the biggest infusion of federal aid that has ever been given to the public transport sector, which will be a welcomed relief for companies and organizations after what has been a difficult year. To get a better understanding, continue reading to find out more about public transportation lobbying and the money received from the federal government.
The pandemic has caused severe effects on the public transport industry
The past year has been a difficult time for businesses in most industries, and the public transport sector certainly falls into this category. For almost 12 months, the public transport systems across the United States have been on the edge of a monetary cliff. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is the reason for this, meaning that transit agencies have not had the riders and revenues required to continue bringing in the revenue that they typically would. Plus, the cost of maintaining public service transport vehicles has increased due to the need to make accommodations in line with the current health and safety guidelines.
President Joe Biden has helped to save public transport systems
However, public transportation lobbying has finally had an impact. This is because President Joe Biden has helped to pull the public transport systems and the people that rely on them from the worst crisis they have experienced in decades. This is by putting together a stimulus package, which amounts to $1.9 trillion. Transit agencies will receive $30.5 billion of this package, and this sum represents the biggest infusion of federal aid that has ever been received by the public transportation sector.
The news resulted in several state transport agencies shelving their proposed cuts and re-opening transport lines that had been shut
The news was certainly very well-received in the industry. Once the package was announced, transit leaders from various parts of the United States soon announced that plans for deep service cuts would be shelved. This includes the likes of San Francisco, Washington, and New York. Public transportation agencies in numerous states also announced that some bus and train services would be restored as a consequence.
For example, Amtrak stated that they would put a daily service back in place for 12 of their current long-distance routes, of which there are 15. In addition to this, Washington announced that they would keep open almost two dozen stations of which they were intending to close the following year. Furthermore, New York has already announced that commuter rail line services would be ramped up.
This new package shows how President Biden is aiming to fulfill his promise to revitalize transportation systems in the country
The substantial infusion of funds has shown that Mr. Biden is dedicated to revitalizing the transportation systems in the United States. President Biden is a strong supporter of Amtrak, using the public transport system himself. He has acknowledged that a crumbling infrastructure and shaky finances were plaguing the industry even before the pandemic hit. Therefore, while COVID-19 can be to blame for the current state of the industry, it only accelerated what was already going wrong in the industry.
Agencies working in transit have taken a massive revenue hit in recent times. Federal relief was a necessity for companies to maintain their employees and their routes. Extensive public transport lobbying has been done to try and get the president to make some changes, and everyone in the industry has been delighted to see that Mr. Biden has responded by putting out a plan that involves extensive relief for such companies. But this cannot be the end.
Lobbying in the public transport system at present; what is next?
While the funds that President Biden has assigned to transit agencies are very much welcome. Lobbyists for the industry feel they cannot stop here. There are still many problems plaguing this industry, which is why it is imperative to the industry to ensure positive changes are still being made.
The next piece of legislation that President Biden is going to try and get through Congress is an infrastructure spending plan, which is estimated to be worth multi-trillions of dollars. The details regarding this plan have not yet been nailed down, but there is hope that it is going to incorporate support for public transit.
Transportation experts have also warned that this is an industry that still has tough times ahead. While some immediate respite is offered thanks to this federal aid, the stable revenue sources like fares, as well as local and state subsidies that these agencies tend to rely on will be suppressed. Therefore, there still needs to be lobbying for changes in the public transport industry to ensure its survival.
To get an understanding of just how critical things have been, there were a lot of doomsday plans that were put in place by transport agencies to balance the books. Boston, for example, intended to cut their commuter rail service by 11%, which included suspending nine bus routes and ending weekend service on seven of their commuter rail lines. They have now said that they will revisit these plans considering the aid that has been offered by the U.S. Federal Government.
Hopefully, this insight into public transportation lobbying and the money that the sector has received as a consequence of the federal funding offered by the government shows the power of what lobbying can do for your cause. While this is a welcomed relief for a lot of organizations, many will find that more funding is needed to not only survive but thrive over the coming years – this is where lobbying plays a critical role. However, it is important that it is done correctly and that companies do not end up dedicating too much of their efforts to lobbying, as this could result in them losing their tax-exempt status.
If you are based in Nevada and looking for reliable legislative assistance services do not hesitate to consult the best Nevada lobbyist for help. Contact David Goldwater consulting with your questions to get expert answers today!