House Passes Historic "INVEST in America Act"

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed landmark legislation that makes critical investments to surface transportation infrastructure, including $105 billion for public transportation and $60 billion for commuter rail, Amtrak and other high-performance rail. H.R. 2, the “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act” (INVEST in America Act), also provides historic investments for Projects of National and Regional Significance and addressing climate change. The Senate, which has only marked up the highway and research titles of the surface transportation authorization bill, has a very limited window to pass its bill if Congress is going to complete action on the legislation prior to its expiration in 90 days.

In a statement, APTA thanked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) for their “extraordinary leadership and vision in crafting this legislation.”

“This forward-thinking investment in public transportation and passenger rail helps our communities meet growing mobility demands, create family-wage jobs, expand U.S. manufacturing and supply chains, and grow the economy. It puts us on the path to increase access to opportunities for all Americans and build more equitable communities. At a time when our economy desperately needs a boost, this bill will get projects off the ground and immediately create good-paying jobs that will get Americans back to work and ensure our communities keep moving.”

APTA said the legislation recognizes the immediate need for public transit agencies to continue to provide essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic and support the nation’s economic recovery. It reflects two key pillars of APTA’s Surface Transportation Authorization Recommendations: addressing the $100 billion state-of-good-repair backlog and providing the necessary investment to meet growing demand by funding all projects in the Capital Investment Grant pipeline. View the entire statement here.