A Critical Year for Public Transportation Advocacy
By Beth Holbrook and Phillip Eng | 4/13/2026
BETH HOLBROOK
Board Trustee, Utah Transit Authority
Chair, APTA Legislative Committee
and PHILLIP ENG
Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager
Vice Chair, APTA Legislative Committee
Welcome to APTA’s 50th Annual Legislative Conference! As Chair and Vice Chair of the APTA Legislative Committee, we hope that you enjoy the conference and take full advantage of the opportunity to advocate for public transit and passenger rail with your senators and representatives.
This year is Congress’ first opportunity since 2021 to pass comprehensive surface transportation authorization legislation, and we want to use every opportunity to build upon the successes of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
The Legislative Committee has completed a productive two-year effort to develop consensus APTA 2026 Surface Transportation Authorization Recommendations. Our top priority is to provide $138 billion for public transit and $130 billion for passenger rail over five years. APTA’s Recommendations restore the purchasing power lost to inflation over the past five years, and grow total public transit and passenger rail funding (including guaranteed funding) moving forward.
The IIJA was historic for our nation’s public transportation infrastructure, but it was only a down payment to address decades of underinvestment. Congress must maintain that commitment to address the more than $150 billion state-of-good-repair backlog, meet growing mobility demands in our communities, and drive innovation and new technologies. APTA rejects any argument of returning to the old status quo. We should be building and investing in our communities’ future not backsliding; renewing not retreating; advancing economic growth and not abandoning the progress we’ve made.
In addition to funding recommendations, APTA urges Congress to accelerate project delivery by eliminating statutory and regulatory barriers to building infrastructure. We also propose several provisions to strengthen collaborative, local decision-making. Our policy proposals range from changing a few words in existing law to writing entirely new sections of a statute. APTA’s Recommendations include specific legislative language, making it as easy as possible for a Member of Congress to sponsor and champion legislation.
We are extremely grateful and proud of the Legislative Committee members for completing this critical task, but as an association, our work is just beginning. Our Recommendations will have no effect if they merely sit on a bookshelf in a congressional office. Each of us must develop personal relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, tell our stories, engage repeatedly, and explain clearly how these key decisions made in Washington, DC, will have tangible impacts in their state or congressional district. To aid with your advocacy, APTA has developed resources including the Industry Footprint tool and newly updated schematics showing where the components and infrastructure for buses, railcars, bus maintenance facilities, and rail stations are manufactured by 3,000 suppliers in more than 1,700 communities across 50 states. You can find these and other advocacy documents in APTA’s Advocacy Resource Center.
We emphasize these facts every chance we get: Every $1 invested in public transit generates $5 in long-term economic benefits, and 77 percent of federal public transportation investments flow to the private sector. Simply, transit equals jobs.
The meetings that you have with your representatives will also help influence how public transit and passenger rail investments fare among competing priorities in the annual appropriations process. Both the IIJA authorizations and current appropriations expire on September 30, 2026. As we discuss the next Surface Transportation Authorization Act and the annual Transportation Appropriations, a simple message is often the best message: we urge Congress to build upon current investment for public transit and passenger rail to drive job creation, innovation, and economic growth.
Finally, we invite any APTA members who have not previously been involved in the Legislative Committee to consider joining the committee and its many subcommittees. It is a fantastic opportunity to stay informed and join the hundreds of your colleagues who ensure that all aspects of our beloved industry are represented and heard.
Thank you for your incredible efforts to achieve our shared goals. We look forward to a great conference.