National League of Cities Encourages Congress to Pass a Long Term Transportation Bill

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Apr 18, 2012, 10:16 ET

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since President Eisenhower pulled the nation together through the building of a national highway network, leaders from both political parties have extolled the importance of a strong, intermodal transportation network to our national competitiveness and local economic vitality.

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Fifty years ago, President Kennedy called for federal support for public transportation and told Congress, "An efficient and dynamic transportation system is vital to our domestic economic growth. Affecting the cost of every commodity we consume or export, it is equally vital to our ability to compete abroad."

And in 1982, President Reagan signed transportation legislation, dedicating funding from federal fuel tax revenues to transit programs in cities thought out the nation.

"We urge Congress to remember the words of past presidents and take action to reach a bipartisan agreement on a long-term transportation solution," said Ted Ellis, mayor of Bluffton, IN and president of the National League of Cities. He continued, "We need Congress to make investments in our future now. A national infrastructure bill will help cities start needed projects that would put people back to work immediately, while laying the foundation for future economic growth and competitiveness."

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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SOURCE National League of Cities