Honda Secures Bart Funding In Otherwise Flawed Transportation Funding Bill

Press Release

Congressman Mike Honda (D-Silicon Valley), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, secured the full $150 million funding needed for 2016 work on the BART extension to Silicon Valley in the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee's funding bill for fiscal year 2016.

"Extending BART to Silicon Valley will ease traffic, reduce pollution and car emissions, and allow our residents more flexibility in where they work and how they travel through our area," Congressman Honda said. "I'm proud to get this funding through the subcommittee, so the project can continue on time and on budget."

The BART funding is made possible by the full funding for New Starts grants included in the budget. "New Starts grants are critical to the transportation infrastructure of Silicon Valley," Congressman Honda said. "I'm glad to see them fully funded in this budget. These projects lead to fewer cars on our roads. Investing in transportation is good for business, good for the environment, and good for our way of life."

However, Congressman Honda was critical of an almost $300 million decrease of funding for Amtrak. "Cutting the funding for Amtrak is not just foolhardy, it's dangerous," Congressman Honda said. "We need to be spending more to fix our crumbling infrastructure and protect our passengers."

The Congressman was also unhappy with the rejection of an extension of the Moving to Work program. "Moving to Work has saved American taxpayers millions of dollars, while helping agencies and investors create local solutions to local housing challenges," he added. "This is one of the most efficient programs to help families move into better housing. An extension would have shown our commitment to it. I will work with my colleagues to get this extended in the future."

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