Bush is blasted on transit

Environmentalists are lashing out at a Bush administration plan to cut federal funding for mass transit projects.

The Sierra Club released a national report this past week titled "Missing the Train" that highlights the Bush administration's proposal to change the way it funds transit projects. The report points to an imbalance between road funding and mass transit, whereas roads receive $4 for every $1 spent on public transit.

Last year, the Bush administration proposed, as part of its six-year transportation plan, a change to the ratio for federal matching transit funds.

Currently, the federal-state funding match for all new transportation projects is that the federal government kicks in 80 percent of the cost with the local contribution at 20 percent. But the Bush administration wants to change that to force local governments to foot half the bill — a 50-50 split — when it comes to transit projects like light rail and commuter trains.

Environmentalists are alarmed, saying it could derail hundreds of transit projects across the country.

"This could really hurt us in Utah," said Marc Heileson of the Sierra Club's southwest regional office. "We have just taken on commuter rail, and five new TRAX lines are planned for Salt Lake County alone. Utahns overwhelmingly want TRAX servicing their communities, and the Bush administration is going the wrong way."

Utah Transit Authority officials say a reduction in mass transit funding is not necessarily a roadblock.

"We've anticipated only receiving a 50-50 match. That is something we planned for in the commuter rail line," said Justin Jones, spokesman for UTA. "When you look at the national trend you see a lot of agencies competing for Federal Transportation Administration dollars. That's an ongoing trend."

While blasting the Bush administration for being short-sighted on transit funding, the report praises mass transit projects like Utah's TRAX system as a success.

According to recent data from UTA, the north-south TRAX line, which opened in 1999, had an average daily ridership this May of 27,522 people — doubling the projected ridership expectations. The University TRAX line has more than doubled expectations to the tune of 12,716 people on average taking transit daily.

"New transit lines are greatly exceeding projected ridership in Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City and elsewhere," the report stated. "New Starts, the federal program that helps promising transit projects get off the ground, has a record backlog of more than 200 projects, reflecting the fact that more and more communities are embracing, and clamoring for, public transportation."

The report makes note of the positive effects of transit. The American Public Transportation Association has calculated that every tax dollar that is invested in public transit generates six or more dollars in economic return.

"People want more transportation choices, less traffic, and clean air to breathe," Heileson said. "Funding convenient regional transit systems is the way to make it happen."

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