Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Transit Investment in Transportation Bill, Offers Measured Support

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president for policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on today’s congressional vote on the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act:

“We support this bill for its investment in transit and what that means for vulnerable urban and rural communities, and not for its myriad of other problems.

For underserved low-income people, people with disabilities, and people of color, a robust investment in mass transit means access to jobs, affordable housing, health care, schools, and child care. This bill is responsive to this need and increases transit investment, reauthorizes the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises program, and provides $7.5 million in annual grant funding for states to collect data on racial profiling.

We know that better transportation policy can help fight income inequality and that long-term funding is critical to ensuring our nation’s economic prosperity. On this, among several other counts, this bill misses the mark. We wish the final bill was stronger on policy, provided more funding for infrastructure investments, and included a long-term funding solution for our transportation system.

We applaud the bipartisanship that went into this much-needed bill and will work toward a stronger reauthorization in five years.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president and director of policy of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.