House Passes Langevin Amendment to Increase Accessibility in Public Transit

The House today passed an amendment authored by Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) to the FY2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Langevin’s amendment would increase funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Technical Assistance and Training program by $2 million, restoring it to last year’s funding levels.  Technical Assistance and Training funds are used to improve transit accessibility for individuals with disabilities and older users.

“As our population ages, it is imperative that we provide community-based supports that allow older Americans, as well as people with disabilities, to live independently and with dignity,” said Langevin, who co-chairs the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. “Public transportation is an essential component of those community services, without which many of these individuals would be unable to get to work or access other important services, like health care. These populations rely heavily on public transit, and our investment in accessibility assistance empowers them to live, work and thrive in our communities.”

The FY15 transportation appropriations bill passed by the House Appropriations Committee included a $2 million cut in funding to the Federal Transit Administration’s Technical Assistance and Training program, which also provides funding to the Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA). ESPA aims to assist the disability community and the transportation industry to ensure accessible community transportation. Langevin’s amendment, which was passed by voice vote and will now be included in the final House bill, would restore the $2 million, bringing program funding back to FY14 levels and making public transit more accessible and reliable.

Congressman Jim Langevin
Statement on FTA Technical Assistance and Training Amendment to H.R. 4745
June 9, 2014

The amendment I authored with my good friends Congressman Price, Congressman Quigley and Congressman Butterfield will increase funding for FTA Technical Assistance and Training, returning them to their 2014 levels.

The technical assistance and training dollars made available by this amendment will help increase mobility for people with disabilities and older adults. By providing this assistance to our transit systems and services, we can ensure they become more accessible for those who rely on them the most.

Easter Seals, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and others have a long history of working with the FTA to provide training, technical assistance and support services to the transit industry, the elderly and people with disabilities. It is critical for this work to continue, especially as more people age and more of those with disabilities seek to live as independently as possible.

For FTA to do this effectively, it must have adequate resources to support these technical assistance activities.

Accordingly, our amendment will increase funding by $2 million for FTA Technical Assistance and Training, restoring it to $5 million, which equals last year’s levels.

Individuals with disabilities and older adults disproportionately rely on public transit to work, live, learn, and access recreation in their communities. I ask that my colleagues support this amendment, which will provide immeasurable benefits to all those it serves.

Thank you for your consideration.