Public transportation is vital infrastructure for a state looking toward the future. It allows people who lack other transportation options – including seniors, people with disabilities, and people who can’t afford a car – to get to work, go to the doctor and meet other basic needs. Reliable public transportation strengthens communities and makes a state more attractive to employers.
Alabama can expand its public transit options with a General Fund appropriation for the Public Transportation Trust Fund. Even a modest state investment in public transit could have a big impact, as Alabama Arise’s fact sheet explains. With a state allocation of just $10 million, for example, Alabama could receive up to $40 million in federal matching grants in return.
Public transportation funding would be an investment in our state’s economy and quality of life. Alabama could create public transit options in rural and suburban areas where they don’t exist now. Existing services could run later and more often. And all of these investments would support hundreds of stable, good-paying jobs.
We need you with us as we make the case for public transportation funding during the 2020 legislative session. Please join Arise or renew your membership today to add your voice to our chorus for change. Together, we can build a better Alabama!