Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904
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WE Stand Behind Our Product So You Can Stand Safely Under Yours Offering the latest innovations in mobile lifting technology, SEFAC lifts come in capacities of 12,000lbs and 18,000lbs per column/48,000lbs and 72,000lbs set of four. With more than 30 years manufacturing mobile lifts we have proven that our lifts are built tough and to the highest quality. See for yourself at sefac.com. sefac@sefac.com 1-800-826-3486 ext. 105 www.sefac.com Anthony Foxx, who spoke about the im- portance of public transportation in his life and to America's future. Foxx discussed how growing up in Charlotte, N.C., he would travel with his grandmother to the center city on week- ends, where she taught him to pay a fare, request a transfer and read bus schedules. Foxx used his life experience to re- mind the crowd of the importance of the work they do for millions of people around the nation. "Behind what you are doing, under- girding it is the American Dream," he said. "I am working for and fghting for a transportation system that is as good as the American people are." To that end, Foxx discussed how there has not been the passage of a six-year transportation authorization bill in 10 years, which poses a challenge for trans- portation agencies and local govern- ments to plan for the future. He also discussed the $86 billion back- log in transit repairs and the need to ad- dress that backlog in anticipation of the 100 million more people ex- pected to be living in the U.S. by 2050. "Just imagine what kind of congestion we're setting our- selves up for. Imagine what types of quality of life challenges we're setting ourselves up for. Tis is an entire- ly avoidable problem," he said. Foxx also touted the four-year, $302 billion GROW America Act proposed by President Barack Obama and his Ad- ministration, which he called "the most forward-leaning vision for transporta- tion the country has seen in some time," and his disappointment in Congress for extending MAP-21 another 10 months instead of taking up the proposal. He urged the crowd to make their voic- es heard, both locally and nationally, and stressed the importance that all the stake- holders involved work together rather than continue to fght for their own spe- cifc issues of interest. Following his speech, Foxx visited fve suppliers on the show foor — Alstom, Gillig, Mobility Ventures LLC, Route Match and Wabtec — to learn what they do and how they help the public trans- portation industry move forward more efciently. FINDING A FUNDING SOURCE With surface transportation reautho- 14 < m ETRO m AGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 metro-magazine.com APTA EXPO 2014 APTA President/CEO Michael Melaniphy (center) joined other ofcials for the ceremonial opening of the 2014 APTA EXPO in Houston. Photo credit: Tom Callins