WE SHOULD OPEN UP THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND NOW

Public transit has been plagued by deteriorating service and rising fares. More than 268 mass-transportation companies have gone out of business since 1954, and 20 more are on the brink of bankruptcy. The passengers now commute by car. The one quarter of our population that is too poor, too old, or too handicapped to own a car needs public transportation. At the root of the problem is the Highway Trust Fund, each time a new highway is opened, it produces an increase in the revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, which thus increases the money available for building highways. Cities are forced to use highway funds for highways, or lose them. Cities need the flexibility to plan their own transit expenditures. It is proposed that the Federal Highway Act be amended to allow cities to use their share of the Trust Fund money for bus or rail transit. The automobile contributes to the increasing energy shortage. Automobiles are responsible for at least 39 percent of our air pollution, and up to 80 percent in some cities. Balanced transportation is needed.