WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri, joined by a number of his colleagues, is pressing the leadership of the U.S. House to include enhanced funding for public transit in President Obama's stimulus package.

In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, Mr. Clay and his colleagues said, “States have been hit hard in this economic downturn and many are in desperate need of financial assistance to support state transportation infrastructure.  There are more than $15.9 billion of "ready-to-go" transit projects that could be advanced in fewer than 90 days." 

"In the St. Louis area, Metro bus and light rail service is absolutely vital to thousands of commuters and low income workers who depend on mass transit," said the Congressman.  "Our goal is to save existing transit jobs and to create as many new ones as possible because a strong public transit system makes new job creation possible.  Congress has an obligation to do everything we can to ensure that this funding is available.”
 
Funding public transit will further stimulate the economy by producing green jobs.  According to projections by the U.S. Department of Transportation, if $47.8 billion were invested in public transportation immediately, more than 1.3 million green jobs could be supported in the next two years.