Members of the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance (NYSTEA), a newly formed coalition including TSTC, are in Washington today to advocate for federal operating aid for transit agencies. As MTR has previously discussed, transit agencies across the country are facing budget shortfalls resulting in service cuts and fare increases, which disproportionately fall on those who can least afford them.
NYSTEA was formed to ensure that equity concerns are addressed in the upcoming federal transportation bill and includes Tri-State, Empire State Future, UPROSE, and WE ACT. NYSTEA members Soledad Gaztambide (of UPROSE) and Cecil Corbin-Mark (of WE ACT) will speak at a Congressional briefing at 3pm today, and coalition members will meet with legislators throughout the day.

Last month, Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO) sent a letter signed by 65 other members of the House (including New York Reps. Bishop, Engel, McMahon, Nadler, Tonko, and Weiner) to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee leadership calling for the inclusion of transit operating aid in the next federal transportation bill. Twenty-seven House members are also asking that transit agencies be allowed to use some stimulus money for operating aid.

Tri-State has also advocated for federal operating aid in Connecticut, where Gov. Rell has proposed a budget that would increase bus fares by 40%. Bus riders in Connecticut make about half as much as drivers ($23,440 vs. $46,045 in the 2000 Census). A coalition of groups asked Sen. Chris Dodd to work for federal operating aid in April, as did TSTC’s Kate Slevin in a letter to the editor published in the Hartford Courant yesterday.