Ryan Budget Will Paralyze U.S.

Transit Riders, Jeopardize Safety
 

WASHINGTON, DC – Lawrence J. Hanley, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO (ATU), made the following statement regarding House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget proposal for 2012:

“Path to Prosperity, Chairman Paul Ryan’s FY 2012 Budget Resolution, actually puts millions of America’s transit riders on a path to nowhere, if they can actually get there safely,” said Larry Hanley, International President of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Ryan’s budget proposes cutting transportation funding by 31 percent in 2012, and stays in that range for the next ten years. “Coming on the heels of this week’s last-minute deal to cut transit spending by 18% through the remainder of FY 2011, the Ryan proposal could mean the death blow for many struggling transit agencies that have already cut service to the bone,” Hanley said.  “In addition, with rail accidents on the rise due to antiquated equipment, the safety of millions of transit passengers will be in jeopardy due to these senseless cuts.”

America is in the midst of a mobility crisis. Since the beginning of 2009, approximately 85% of public transit systems have raised fares or cut service, and thousands of workers in the transit industry – a significant percentage of a “green” workforce – have been laid off.  Fifty-six percent of transit systems have cut rush hour service, 62% have slashed off-peak service, and 40% report reductions in geographic coverage.

“The person who cleans offices downtown in the wee hours of the morning should not have to sleep on the cold hard floor in the lobby of the building after finishing her work until the buses start running the next day. But that is exactly what is happening out there. Our members nationwide have seen it firsthand,” said Hanley.  “This proposal will ensure that over the next several years, millions of transit-dependent people will lose their ride, their job, and their dignity.”

“Is that the ‘path’ that voters chose in November?”