Transportation for America today hailed the introduction of emergency legislation to prevent disastrous service cuts and fare hikes that are threatening public transportation riders across America. The Public Transportation Preservation Act would provide $2 billion in emergency assistance for operating expenses necessary to restore a major reduction in transit service and to hold off future fare increases due to decreased state or local funding that occurred on or after January 1, 2009. Funding would be distributed through existing formulas.

James Corless, director of Transportation for America, released the following statement in response to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Dodd’s (D-CT) introduction of the Livable Communities Act:

U.S. Senator Chris Dodd came out in favor in Transportation for America’s agenda in a big way today with an op-ed in the New Haven Register on the potential for transit investment to help repair our economy and extend the effectiveness and reach of our transportation system.