For Immediate Release
December 15, 2020
Freedman Joins Public Transit Systems Around the Country in Urging Congress to #SavePublicTransit
APTA-organized day of action and engagement will take place on Tuesday, December 15
Freedman Seating is joining fellow APTA members and industry partners on Tuesday, December 15 to collectively fight to #SavePublicTransit with a day of mobilization and engagement.
Organized by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), #SavePublicTransit Day will shine the light on the dire financial crisis facing the public transportation industry and urge elected officials to take immediate action.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the vital role public transit plays in our communities, bringing healthcare professionals to the frontlines, delivering groceries and medicine to at-risk populations, and connecting essential workers to their places of work,” said Craig Freedman, Freedman Seating CEO. “We urge Congress and the Administration to enact COVID-19 emergency transit funding legislation before it adjourns for the year.”
It is critical that Congress move forward and provide emergency funding for public transit in the lame duck session before Congress recesses for the holiday. The industry is calling on Congress and the Administration to provide at least $32 billion in emergency funding to ensure that public transit agencies can survive and help our communities and nation recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Based on a September 2020 survey of transit agencies, without additional emergency funding, 54 percent of transit agencies are considering laying off or furloughing staff and 61 percent may reduce service. Without at least $32 billion in emergency funding for the industry, transportation agencies and suppliers will be forced to cut services and routes, reduce labor, and other last resort measures.
“Immediate action needs to be taken to address the public transportation industry’s dire financial situation so that we can continue to serve essential employees every day and can help with the nation’s economic recovery,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “The industry’s very survival is at stake.”
###
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations which represent a $74 billion industry that directly employs 435,000 people and supports millions of private sector jobs. APTA members are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. www.apta.com
Freedman Seating is a seat manufacturer in Chicago, IL; designing, engineering, and manufacturing seat related products for many different markets, including small bus, mid-size coach, heavy-duty transit, rail, marine, delivery truck, and para-transit. Freedman Seating is an ISO 9001 registered company with an on-site A2LA Accredited Mechanical Testing Lab. www.freedmanseating.com
Contact: JP Paonessa, Marketing Manager
Phone: 773-524-2440 / Email: jp.paonessa@freedmanseating.com