Ensuring federal transportation funding led industry leaders to confirm Fort Worth’s commitment at a Thursday news conference.
Gathered at the Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Fort Worth, officials joined more than 215 agencies nationwide in participating in Stand Up For Transportation Day.
“We’re here today to stand up for transportation and the importance of infrastructure to this country,” said Paul Ballard, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, or The T.
Ensuring future transportation funding led the Fort Worth Transportation Authority to organize one of many similar events also held on Thursday April 9. The idea is to promote support before the current federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, expires on May 31, 2015.
Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association, with support from national and local partners, the movement encourages the public to telephone, text or tweet their elected officials and fight for funding to ensure future road, bridge and rail infrastructure, as well as public transit.
“Transportation is so important to our country,” said Rosa Navejar, former T Board vice chairwoman and current president of The Rios Group Inc., a Fort Worth-based utilities and engineering services firm, and business member of of the American Public Transportation Association’s executive committee.
“It brings economic development, it brings transit-oriented development, and it also increases jobs,” Navejar said.
Encouraging the public to express support via social media was Bob Babbitt, president of McDonald Transit Associates Inc., and like Navejar, an APTA business member.
“It is very important that we invest in transit and transportation,” said Babbitt, waving a handout listing elected officials’ names and Twitter handles. “Investment in our infrastructure helps the economy.”
More information is available at www.standup4transportation.org or on Twitter using #StandUp4Transportation.