On the recordMarch 11, 2014
Hundreds of men and women are in Washington, D.C., this week representing America's transit agencies, millions of transit users, with the highest ridership in over a half century: 10.7 billion rides. Tomorrow, they will be joined by over two dozen streetcar cities. This is one of the fastest growing new development and transit tools that is taking place all across the United States. They are here seeking the Federal Government to step up and do its job. For the first time in over 150 years, the Federal Government is in retreat on infrastructure. It all started, as you know, with the Constitution designating postal roads as one of the first obligations of our new country, and then we were involved with the development of a system of canals to help promote American commerce. 152 years ago, the Transcontinental Railroad Act was passed that ultimately tied America together from coast to coast and led to the finest passenger and freight rail system in the world. Later, there were massive water projects in the West, electricification projects that brought the magic of electricity to rural and smalltown America. The interstate freeway system that began germinating under the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression, blossomed into full flower, signed by President Eisenhower in 1956. Mr.…





