More Than 175 APTA Members Participate in DC Winter Legislative Meeting

APTA held its Winter Legislative Meeting at Union Station in Washington, DC, Dec. 5, with more than 175 APTA members in attendance.

Beth Holbrook, chair of APTA’s Legislative Committee and member, board of trustees, Utah Transit Authority, called the meeting to order.

APTA Chair MJ Maynard, CEO, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, told attendees that while “we don’t yet know the Trump-Vance Administration’s specific objectives for public transportation, we do know that we must effectively communicate the crucial role our industry plays in strengthening the economy; creating jobs; supporting the U.S. manufacturing base and small businesses; keeping rural, suburban, and urban communities safe and vibrant; and making the movement of people and goods more efficient and economical.”

APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas noted that over the past three years, nearly 11,500 public transit and passenger rail projects have been planned, begun, or completed in large and small communities—all across the U.S.

He said, “Our industry can take pride in how we are making life better for millions of Americans by investing in more accessible and modern transit. But now we must complete the job we started and make the full promise of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act a reality. This will mean working closely with the incoming Trump-Vance Administration, DOT Secretary-elect Sean Duffy and his team, and a new Republican-led Congress.”

Skoutelas added that the industry “must continue to explain the economic and business benefits of investing in public transportation as we push for full funding in FY25 and FY26 appropriations.”

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AK), chairman, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), ranking member, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, each gave their perspectives on the surface transportation agenda in the 119^th Congress.

Ward McCarragher, APTA’s vice president, government affairs and advocacy, discussed the 2024 election results and the resulting political, legislative, and regulatory landscape.

Maynard conducted a fireside chat with two panelists, both of whom are consultants for APTA and key contributors to the association’s advocacy efforts. Mary Dee Beal is a principal at KDCR Partners and Dan Renberg is a partner at ArentFox Schiff and co-lead of its government relations practice. Both offered their perspectives on what the public transit industry can expect from the second Trump Administration, the 119^th Congress, and its potential impacts on public transportation priorities and APTA’s advocacy strategies.

Denise A. Figueroa, chair of APTA’s Research, Communications, and Advocacy Council, led an interactive session on advocacy communications, and Roger Nober, director, Regulatory Studies Center, George Washington University, discussed the impacts to public transportation of recent court decisions regarding federal administrative law, including the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine.

Finally, APTA’s Legislative Committee approved its first package of Surface Transportation Authorization Recommendations.

Following the meeting, attendees enjoyed APTA’s annual Capitol Hill Holiday Reception.

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