By Ron Thaniel
March 17, 2003

During two separate events in Washington March 10, Conference of Mayors Environment Chair Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory and Phoenix Mayor Anton E. 'Skip' Rimsza called on increased transit funding in the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, TEA-21.

The mayors addressed two groups. First, they spoke before the Washington'based Surface Transportation Policy Project, a coalition of more than 600 organizations working to promote transportation policies and investments that expand transportation options and protect the environment. Second, they addressed the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a leading force in advancing public transit. At this meeting, Mayor McCrory called for increase transit funding to metropolitan areas to help ensure the metropolitan economies in this country function as engines of economic growth.

In addition to an increase in transit funding, the mayors called on greater suballocation of decision'making and transportation funding to local government to address growing transportation challenges as well as greater resources to address growing metropolitan congestion.

McCrory noted that in Charlotte, "We are not building the public transit system as an end to itself. Rather, our efforts to develop this system is to support how our community will grow in the years ahead and provide our citizens with a real choice in how to get around."

Joining McCrory at the APTA panel focused on mayors and TEA-21 reauthorization, Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza highlighted the struggle and the eventual approval to obtain a sales tax increase to support increased transit investment, in particular light rail, in Phoenix and the now growing support for transit investment. Also, Rimsza tied a direct link to jobs and transit.

Noting the need for more private'public partnerships in transportation, Rimsza told the audience that if the private sector sees the opportunity they do not need much incentive to do development adjacent to light rail and transit.

Lastly, Rimsza noted that highway projects should have to undergo similar requirements as transit.