PUBLIC TRANSIT ADVOCATES BRING PRO-TRANSIT MESSAGE TO ALBANY ON TRANSIT AWARENESS DAY 
Albany, NY –Transit managers, riders, labor and business converged in Albany on Tuesday, January 31 for Transit Awareness Day at The Well of the Legislative Office Building (LOB). The event was marked by a noontime rally emphasizing the public transit industry’s value to New York State’s economy and underscoring the need for the state to make the investment necessary to preserve public transit’s value to the communities it serves.
“Transit Awareness Day is our day to make the connection between the state's goals to revitalize our communities and the important role transit plays in these growth initiatives,” said Bill Carpenter, President of the New York Public Transit Association. “We come each year in order to build on our momentum and communicate just how important a strong public transit system is to the people and economy of New York State.”
Through the rally and meetings with individual lawmakers, NYPTA, its members, transportation coalitions, advocacy groups, and business partners urged the State to continue to make the kind of investments in public transportation that brings wide-ranging benefits.
“One of the best ways to sustain the state’s economic development efforts is to build a more robust public transit system,” said Carpenter. “With more businesses relocating or expanding in communities across the state, our transit systems need a sustainable increase in funding to keep up with demand and provide the connections needed to ensure success.”
Rally participants included Senator Joseph Robach, Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, NYSDOT's CFO Ron Epstein, NYS Business Council's Government Affairs Director, Johnny Evers, Tri-State Campaign's Veronica Vanterpool, Prevost/Nova's President Raymond LeDuc, Chris Boylan Director, Governmental & Strategic Partnerships, Jeff Richardson, President of Local 1342, Corey Bixby, President of Local 1321, and Kat Fisscher with the Sierra Club.
About NYPTA
The New York Public Transit Association, Inc. (NYPTA) is a not-for-profit association of public transportation service providers, private sector manufacturers and consultants, and state government agencies. The Association was formed in 1983 by representatives of the transit industry committed to the advancement of public transportation in New York State. NYPTA remains devoted to public transportation development and representing the mass transportation needs of the riding public. NYPTA members consist of upstate and downstate systems in rural, suburban, city, and large metropolitan localities, and account for 28 percent of all transit rides in the country.
Contact: NYPTA President, Bill Carpenter (518-434-9060) info@nytransit.org
NYPTA Policy Director, Bob Zerrillo (518-491-7212), rzerrillo@nytransit.org
