Effective Messages Gain Support for Public Transit
5/27/2025
In the current Washington environment focused on new priorities and reduced federal funding, APTA is adopting messages that will resonate with the Trump Administration and Republican-led Congress.
The goal is to find common ground with lawmakers and policymakers by reframing public transportation as a vital economic issue.
APTA’s independent research found that highlighting the jobs that public transportation supports across sectors—and the potential job loss without federal investment—is the most effective message that resonates among moderates and conservatives in red, blue, and purple states.
During the Legislative Conference, APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas led a discussion with members of the APTA Executive Committee about how they are telling stories using the advocacy messages based on this strategy.
Impactful, effective messages include:
- Public Transportation is Made in America.
- 77 percent of Federal Public Transit Funding Flows to the Private Sector.
- Public Transit Relies on Thousands of U.S. Suppliers and Manufacturers.
- Every $1 invested in Public Transit Generates $5 in economic activity.
- Transit Creates Jobs Across America—even where transit does not have a large presence.
APTA members explained how they are sharing stories with their elected officials about:
- A major transit-related business in their town and the jobs it supports.
- A federally funded transit project and the economic impact it has had on the local economy.
- A new transit route that spurred investment to establish restaurants, retail shops, and public events that are generating revenue for businesses and the community.
Skoutelas summarized the discussion: “We need to show government officials in Washington and in our states that public transportation benefits more than just the people who ride it; in cities and towns across the country, American workers are building the parts, designing the systems, and developing the technology that keep public transit running and the economy growing.”