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.

Would you believe that the United States of America has no overarching strategy that determines when, how, or where transportation dollars are spent? No plan. No vision. No goal. A few weeks ago, Senators Lautenberg and Rockefeller introduced a bill that sets a bold new vision for federal transportation policy that’s in line with our goals for reform: building a cleaner, smarter, safer system that provides more travel choices for all Americans. Ask yours to become cosponsors of the Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009 today.