Quigley and Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Secure Transportation Accessibility Performance Measure in THUD Bill
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), joined Reps. Maxine Waters (CA-43), André Carson (IN-07), Keith Ellison (MN-05) and Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03) to secure inclusion of language encouraging the establishment of an “accessibility performance measure” in the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill, which was passed by the Appropriations Committee earlier this week.
“Public transit improves the quality of life for people in Chicago and around the country by making cities more accessible, livable, and environmentally friendly. The inclusion of an accessibility performance measure in the Fiscal Year 2017 THUD report is a great step forward for families and communities that depend on public transportation for access to childcare, jobs, fresh food and more,” said Rep. Quigley. “I’m proud to have worked with my friends in the Progressive Caucus on this important issue, and will continue pushing for increased public transit accessibility through my role on the House Appropriations Committee.”
The report encourages the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, “to establish an accessibility performance measure to be available to states, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies to assess the degree to which the transportation system, including public transportation, provides multimodal connections to economic opportunities, including job concentration areas, health care services, child care services, and education and workforce training services, particularly for disadvantaged populations.”
The five Members of Congress had sent a joint letter to the Appropriations Committee on March 17, 2016, requesting the inclusion of report language facilitating the establishment of an accessibility performance measure. The Members said in their letter:
“Transportation networks play a critical role in connecting people to employment opportunities and providing safe, affordable access to essential goods and services, such as health care facilities, child care services, education and workforce training services, financial institutions, and grocery stores. Access to employment opportunities and essential goods and services is especially critical for communities of color, low-income families and people with disabilities.”
As Illinois’ only member on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Quigley has pushed for a long-term surface transportation bill and prioritized Chicago-area infrastructure investments as a member of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD). In the FY2017 THUD bill, Rep. Quigley secured funding for Chicago transportation priorities including $100 million in Core Capacity grants for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), $199 million for commuter railroads to complete installment of Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technology, $450 million for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants benefiting both highway and pedestrian projects, and much more. He supported passage of the DRIVE Act, which reauthorized transportation infrastructure investments for highway and mass transit. His “Mike on the Move” initiative highlights how the federal government can support Chicago transportation and infrastructure.
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