Chambers for Transit

Business support for federal transit funding

The business case for more transit

Business organizations understand that public transportation is essential for strong economies

People boarding light rail in Portland, OR

A national coalition of chambers of commerce, economic development groups, business districts, and other business groups that support federal funding for public transit to make their communities more economically vibrant.

The importance of robust public transit for local economies has been growing clearer in recent years. In 2015, a report from Smart Growth America—Core Values—showed that hundreds of businesses were moving to walkable, transit accessible downtowns because that’s where talented workers want to be. Amazon’s search for an HQ2 added further evidence. The top 20 finalists competing to be Amazon’s second headquarters made the finals in large part because of their existing transit systems or ambitious plans to build them.

However, many on Capitol Hill haven’t gotten the memo. The Trump administration proposed eliminating funding for transit grants in its first two budgets and cutting the program by $1 billion in its third, most recent budget. While Congress has so far rejected those requests, it remains to be seen whether legislators will give transit a more equitable split of overall federal transportation funding as they draft long-term federal transportation policy (current policy expires in September 2020).

That’s why Transportation for America has organized a coalition of local business groups—to show transit’s importance to the local economies that make up our national economy. The members of Chambers for Transit are clamoring for transit investment to improve access to jobs, spark new development, and create the kinds of vibrant communities that can attract a talented workforce. Download our one-pager on Chambers for Transit here.

A logo collage of all the Chamber for Transit members

Business Organization City State
Greater Phoenix Chamber Phoenix AZ
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Denver CO
Orlando Economic Partnership Orlando FL
Central Atlanta Progress Atlanta GA
Metro Atlanta Chamber Atlanta GA
Gwinnett Place CID Duluth GA
Sugarloaf CID Duluth GA
Cobb Chamber of Commerce Marietta GA
Indy Chamber Indianapolis IN
Minneapolis Regional Chamber Minneapolis MN
East Metro Strong Saint Paul MN
Newark Regional Business Partnership Newark NJ
Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce Reno NV
Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Eugene OR
Business for a Better Portland Portland OR
Portland Business Alliance Portland OR
Westside Economic Alliance Portland OR
Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Pittsburgh PA
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Nashville TN
Dallas Regional Chamber Dallas TX
Salt Lake Chamber Salt Lake City UT
Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Tysons VA
Economic Alliance Snohomish County Everett WA
Downtown Seattle Association Seattle WA
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Seattle WA
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Cincinnati OH
Tampa Bay Chamber Tampa FL
Meadowlands Chamber Rutherford NJ
The Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce South Lake Tahoe CA
Central Catskills Chamber of Commerce Margaretville NY
Greater Omaha Chamber Omaha NE
Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Madison WI
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Kansas City MO
Greater Des Moines Partnership Des Moines IA
Greater Baltimore Committee Baltimore MD
Boise Metro Chamber Boise ID
Gwinnett Chamber Gwinnett County GA

Defending federal transit funding

Learn more about Transportation for America’s work to preserve and increase federal investment in public transit.

Learn more

Join Chambers for Transit

Is your business group interested in joining forces with the coalition? Contact Outreach Director Chris Rall.

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