Great Nations Invest in Public Transportation

At APTA’s Legislative Conference, April 12-14 in Washington DC, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) underscored the essential role public transportation plays in connecting Americans to jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity. Echoing sentiments often expressed by former United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Rep. Walkinshaw emphasized that transit investments directly improve quality of life in communities nationwide.

Drawing on his experience as a former Fairfax County, VA, supervisor, Walkinshaw highlighted how transportation decisions—often made at the local level—have profound, personal impacts. He shared a story of a woman with disabilities whose life was transformed by the addition of just 15 feet of sidewalk, enabling her to access bus service and, in turn, education, employment, and social opportunities. The anecdote illustrated how even small infrastructure investments can deliver life-changing outcomes.

Walkinshaw also pointed to major regional successes, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport, initiated by his predecessor Gerald Connolly, as examples of long-term transit investments driving economic growth and regional connectivity. He described WMATA as the “lifeblood” of the National Capital Region, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating significant tax revenue.

However, he warned that flat federal funding, combined with rising construction, labor, and equipment costs, is undermining transit systems’ sustainability. Without increased investment, regions like Northern Virginia could face dramatic increases in congestion and reduced mobility. Walkinshaw stressed that federal funding must keep pace with inflation to remain an effective partner for state and local agencies.

Looking ahead to the next surface transportation reauthorization, Walkinshaw endorsed APTA’s call for robust investment—$138 billion for public transit and $130 billion for passenger rail over five years. He outlined three priorities: ensuring stable, inflation-adjusted funding; strengthening programs that modernize and expand existing systems; and improving the efficiency and flexibility of project delivery.

Walkinshaw concluded by urging attendees to advocate directly with Congress, emphasizing that transit investment is fundamental to national economic competitiveness, workforce mobility, and quality of life. “If we want to be a great nation,” he said, “we need to invest in public transportation.”

View images from the Legislative Conference and Advocacy Afternoon.