Washington, D.C. – Representative Reid Ribble (WI-08), who is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced that key provisions he had been working on were included in the transportation bill that was passed out of the Committee early this morning. Transit funding flexibility for Green Bay and Appleton was successfully added to The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.  This bill is the first major, long-term transportation bill to be voted on in seven years. It will be fully paid for and is slated for a floor vote in the near future.

“This legislation will help protect public transportation in the Appleton and Green Bay areas,” said Ribble. “Many people depend on public transit in their day-to-day lives, and I want to make sure that Green Bay and Valley Transit systems will continue to have access to funding for operating assistance. I am proud that these agencies can keep their doors open and continue serving the residents of northeast Wisconsin.

“Although I am very pleased that our legislation protecting public transit will be moving forward, other issues in the bill still need to be addressed for Wisconsin. This step represents the beginning of the legislative process, not the end, and I plan to work with Chairman Mica and others to try and resolve these issues so that northeast Wisconsin receives the best possible outcome.”

Gwen Gibson, president of the public transit advocacy group ESTHER, praised Rep. Ribble for his work on this legislation:

"After much work to address the critical issue facing our public transit system, a system that too many depend on to see it cut, leaders in ESTHER and JOSHUA along with the thousands of community supporters and the commitment of Rep. Ribble and Rep. Petri, we are relieved to see a solution that will work for our community reflected in this transportation bill."

Ribble-backed provisions adopted into The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act:

• Motorcycle Checkpoints:  Legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds to create programs to check helmet usage or checkpoints for motorcycle drivers or passengers
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations:  Provisions to ensure that a metropolitan planning organization that serves an urbanized area of between 50,000 and 100,000 people can continue to be designated as a metropolitan planning organization
• Small Truckers:  Reports on the impact of federal regulatory policies on small truckers

###