Responding to record-high gas prices and the rising use of
public transportation, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed HR 6052,
the Saving Energy through Public
Transportation Act, by a vote of 322 to 98, which authorizes 1.7 billion
dollars to transit agencies across America to expand services and
reduce fares.
If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush,
this bill would provide almost 53 million dollars for Massachusetts transit agencies, with 40
million dollars of that dedicated to the MBTA, over two years.
This investment is part of a long-term solution that gives
Americans affordable and convenient alternatives to driving and allows transit
agencies to keep up with drastic increases in ridership brought on by high gas
prices.
“We applaud this legislation for its rare combination of practicality
and vision,” said US PIRG staff attorney John Krieger, “The House recognized
today that we cannot kick our oil addiction without driving less, and we cannot
drive less without better transportation alternatives.”
According to analysis released this week by US PIRG,
American families are spending close to 100 dollars a week on gasoline. That spending has increased almost 40 percent
in the last five months, and household
spending on transportation is now the second highest expense for the average
family - more than food, clothing, even
healthcare.
Americans have responded to higher gas costs by taking
public transportation at record rates in areas where it is available, and
American drivers traveled fewer miles last year for the first time in almost
thirty years.
Analysis by U.S.
PIRG shows that public transportation created net oil savings of 3.4 billion
gallons in 2006. That is enough to fuel almost 6 million cars for an entire
year and saves consumers about $13.6 billion in gasoline at today’s prices.
“Rising gas prices are getting people out of their cars in
record numbers,” said Krieger, “Investments like this give them a better and
cheaper way to go.”
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U.S. PIRG is the federation of state Public
Interest Research Groups. State PIRGs
are non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations.
