Washington, D.C. — This morning the U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and Congressman Hank Johnson’s Public Transportation Expansion Act.
The bill will, for the first time, fund construction of public transportation specifically connecting affordable housing with transit networks in order to serve riders and commuters in low-income communities.
The bill will also, for the first time in decades, allow large transit operators to use Federal funds for operating expenses, a game-changer for transit agencies.
“This legislation will build public transportation to serve residents in Georgia’s low-income neighborhoods, connecting affordable housing with health care, education, and employment centers while protecting our environment by reducing air pollution,” Sen. Ossoff said.
Sen. Ossoff introduced the bill this summer — alongside Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) — as part of his continued effort to increase access to public transportation, regardless of income or where you live.
Sen. Ossoff previously led a united Georgia Democratic congressional delegation in calling for transit funding to help low-income, Black, and Latino Georgians access public transportation.
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