Virginia Railway Express CEO Doug Allen Named to Getting America to Work Advisory Board
National Coalition Supports Increased Funding for Public Transportation
Washington D.C. (June 2, 2014) - Virginia Railway Express (VRE) CEO Doug Allen has joined the Advisory Board of the Getting America to Work (GATW) coalition. His addition to the national advisory group of transportation executives will bolster GATW’s mission of promoting long-term solutions to bring America’s public transportation systems into a state of good repair.
The coalition’s seven-member Advisory Board represents 99 members from across the country. This broad coalition of commuters, businesses, local officials and transit agencies is working to educate Congress about the critical need to find a sustainable funding solution to keep America’s transit systems running efficiently and providing vital services to their communities.
“I am looking forward to serving on the Getting America to Work Advisory Board,” said Doug Allen. “Their mission is very closely aligned with VRE’s mission of providing reliable and quality access to jobs,” said Doug Allen. “Securing sufficient, dedicated federal funding for transit is vitally important so that transit agencies can effectively deliver services that provide access to jobs and help grow our economy. ”
VRE provides commuter rail service from the Northern Virginia suburbs to Alexandria, Crystal City in Arlington County and downtown Washington, D.C., along the I-66 and I-95 corridors. VRE operates 30 trains from 18 stations and carries an average of 20,000 passengers daily.
GATW has ramped-up efforts this year as MAP-21, the current surface transportation funding bill, nears expiration in September. The coalition is urging lawmakers to avoid another stopgap funding measure – and has been working alongside the first-ever Congressional Public Transportation Caucus to highlight the importance of long-term funding solutions for transit systems in every part of the country.
“We are very pleased to welcome Doug Allen to the Advisory Board,” says Leanne Redden, GATW Advisory Board member and interim Executive Director of Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority. We look forward to working with him to ensure we are providing the best possible leadership to the coalition, and ultimately, to our transit systems and their riders – who unfortunately must rely on an increasingly decrepit and aging infrastructure.”
Funding transportation infrastructure has proven beneficial for local economies because it increases local property values, reduces congestion and generates economic return for small businesses. According to a recent survey by the Rockefeller Foundation, more than half of millennials would consider moving to another city if it had better access to public transportation.
Getting America to Work (GATW) is a broad coalition of commuters, businesses, officials and transportation agencies that support vital investments in public transit. GATW focuses on advocating for the capital funding necessary to bring all of America’s public transportation systems into a state of good repair. This investment will preserve and create the jobs and economic development transit supports. For more information, visit www.GettingAmericaToWork.com.
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