Unions, City Council Seeking Federal Aid For Mass Transit
By ARI PAUL

A coalition of transit unions and environmental groups is pushing the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that would secure $1.7 billion in funding for mass transit systems around the country.

LARRY HANLEY: Mass transit needs Federal infusion.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the funding bill last month, and the City Council is expected to pass a resolution this week calling on the Senate to pass a companion measure.

'A Tsunami for Mass Transit'

Larry Hanley, a vice president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said that 20 percent of the nation's transit systems are cutting back on service, while ridership is going up because of higher gas prices.

"The cost of providing energy to run the systems is moving up just as fast as the price for gas for cars," he said. "So it's kind of a tsunami for mass transit. The only place that transit systems have to turn is the Federal Government."

Mr. Hanley, a former president of ATU Local 726 in Staten Island, has written letters along with Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers' Campaign to U.S. Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Clinton urging them to introduce the bill, but has yet to get a response. He noted that the issue is especially important for New York because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is expected to make large budget cuts. MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot Sander has voiced his support of the bill for the emergency Federal funding.

There is a short window to pass this bill, Mr. Hanley said, because it must pass by September and the Senate will meet only for five weeks between now and then.

Indirect Help to Auto-Makers

The union official said the bill had three aims: to maintain and increase service, to keep fares steady and to subsidize fuel.

"Bailing out transit at the point were people have fewer transportation options is something that not only helps the economy but, at a time when General Motors is cutting 60,000 employees, a good shot in the arm for mass transit could help the auto industry start converting their plants for SUVs into bus-building plants," Mr. Hanley said.

He added that the bill would encourage more people to use mass transit instead of driving, which would help wean the country off foreign oil.

"The biggest oil well is mass transit," Mr. Hanley said. "The implications for national security are obvious, but we're not confident that the Senate views it as that type of no-brainer."