providing much more information and guidance to our partners and stakeholders to help people understand exactly what this all means and to get it working for you. for now, we look forward to working with all of you as we continue to invest in the transportation systems across the country and the need to grow and compete, providing opportunities that all americans deserve. thank you so much for welcoming ime home to san francisco to share this news with you. to [applause] >> thank you, mr. mayor, ms. mcmillan. we are always happy to have you back home. we are happy to have a bay area voice in washington, especially when you are bringing such good news. feel free to come back any time. you are always welcome. the leadership i talked about takes different forms. you heard the deputy administrator talk about the map 21, reauthorization, so

important to the transportation funding in this country. it would not have been possible without of leadership from the executive branch, president obama, and secretary lahood, and also support from the legislative branch. we are so lucky to have here in the bay area strong and committed leadership there, folks that understand the needs of the bay area, the importance of transportation and transit to the bay area. we are pleased to have representatives from two of our congressional leaders that represent the bay area here today. first let me ask patti to come up on behalf of leader pelosi. [applause] >> congresswoman pelosi was honored to receive today's invitation to the announcement and regrets her duties in washington will not allow her to join us today, but she asked that i read this statement on as a transit first city, san

francisco knows investing in transit is an investment in jobs, people, and community. g0z people and places it in an accessible and affordable way, it gets people to work on time and kids safely to class. transit plays a critical in our daily lives while reducing road congestion, lowering our dependence on foreign oil, and protecting our planet. is increasingly crucial that we ensure our public transit remains in a state of good repair so that it can continue to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transportation for millions of american families. today'svfçmcãannouncement by secretary lahood and deputy transit administrator mcmillan of nearly $25 million for bart and the municipal transit agency will mean cleaner, faster muni buses and real time bus and

train information at key bart stations. in@z@z demand, with less than one in five applications or did, san francisco succeeded because it was prepared to pioneer with innovative ideas, and japan real spirit, and a commitment to serve each and every citizen. thank you for being here today. [applause] >> thank you. i love the sound of cleaner, faster muni buses. as recently as a couple of months ago, it was not clear that the reauthorization of the transportation bill was going to happen. part in the last couple of months of bringing at home and getting that bill done. we are grateful for her leadership. the balance of san francisco not represented by the leader is represented by congresswoman jackie speer, who also represents other parts of the bay area. she has been a great voice in

washington for us as well. speaking on behalf of her, i want to welcome brian perkins. [applause] >> good morning. i am a senior adviser for congressman spear and she regrets not being able to be here this morning. she did ask me to read this statement. i want to thank the transportation agency for investing in transit as well as improvements that will create a rapid the scoreboard. for some, the only answer to our energy needs is more drilling. production is way up already, and including canada, the u.s., and mexico, we are already the new middle east. i am proud that this administration and the bay area are making a point of that independence about employing local workers in bus factories and improving public transit to move citizens or quickly. the home of companies making diesel fuel for by engineering,

we also challenged americans using science for smarter buses and dedicated traffic lanes for bus service. but others endorsed technologies and transportation policies that cause massive blood in the gulf and soil our nation's landscapes. we are san francisco, we are the bay area. we simply no better. what we know best is moving americans to a strong mass transit system is the wisest course for our country. i want to thank the federal transit administration of sharing our vision for strengthening transit. cordially yours, congresswoman jackie spear. [applause] >> as grateful as we are for the support from washington, the support locally is important, too, and counties around the bay area have stepped up in terms of transportation, certainly,

including san francisco, where the voters have approved an reauthorize the have cent sales tax. that will fund a significant part of muni's capital needs, as well as other parts of the transportation infrastructure of the city. that is managed by the san francisco transportation authority. we are pleased to have our partner in transportation here in san francisco, executive director jose luis moscovich. [applause] >> good morning. let me clarify. i am here representing the chairman of the board -- san francisco county transportation authority commissioner and border supervisors, member david campos, who is not able to attend today. i will be wearing four hats. my own, commissioner campos' hat

as the chair of the board, board supervisors, and also as a representative of the board of supervisors on the metropolitan transportation commission. but personally, i am delighted to be here today, and i want to extend a warm welcome back to the bay area to be administrator therese macmillan. in doing that, i am not only welcoming a distinguished guest but ab the bay area has just reached the end of an extensive two-year effort to develop the region's first combine regional transportation plan and to sustainable community strategy, effectively linking, i would say for the first time, land use and transportation through investment and infrastructure to concentrate new growth in areas which can effectively be served

by transit. this is something that therese is no stranger to. for many years, she advocated for that locally, and now she is doing that very effectively as part of the obama administration. this is an administration that understands that a country cannot move forward without due investments in its infrastructure, particularly its transportationmn which is the lifeblood of the urban centers better the dynamo of the 21st century economy. like the obama administration, we understand the importance of maintaining what we have. over 80% and the regional plan revenues are directed towards fix it first. this high level of investment continues a long-establish partnership or local and state dollars leveraged federal dollars. at the transportation authority over the last few months, we have acted to invest millions of dollars of the sales tax that we

administer in a transit infrastructure, both in the current system to keep it in a state of good repair and also to enhance the system so that transit is prepared to take on its share of forecast growth in the near future which is quite significant. last week at the plans and programs committee, there was an approval+1t! sfmta to procure 90 40-foot motor coach of judges in -- buses in anticipation to the very good news we received today. we know from firsthand experience that replacing vehicles that are passed their useful life with new vehicles may be the single most important performance benefit we can offer survivors in terms of providing reliable service. in fact, in 1999, we partner with the fda in with the state muni fleet. we leveraged $500 million.

then>mmm4h performance shot up. so we know this works. similarly, san francisco, we endorsed programming with the state bond funds and lifeline transportation programming, matching prop k cells tech funds, for the mobility maximization project. this is really a project that we difference in the quality of service in the city. again, we're delighted that these two projects are coming to fruition. and we're very honored and happy to thank the fda -- fta for its partnership. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, jose luis. he mentioned the importance of maintaining what we have, and we have been speaking mostly about capital investment, and that is critically important to upgrading and replacing old

infrastructure, outdated buses and trains. but we also need to invest our operating dollars. i am very pleased that for the two-year fiscal cycle the started this month, the mta board of directors approved a budget that improved substantially invested -- investment in the maintenance of our system, buses, trains, overhead wires, signals, it switches. this is not sexy stuff, putting money into maintenance of existing equipment, but it is extremely important. sfmta board showed its leadership in putting its money where it its mouth was, investing our local of redding dollars into the maintenance of a system that supports the larger state of good repair investment that is so strongly and luckily -- and welcome to. sleep plays to bring up a representative from our board, the vice chairman of the board -- i am pleased to bring up a representative from our board.

>> thank you, good morning. on behalf of the a 70 board of directors, want to thank the deputy administrator and the fta for providing this critical funds. i also want to thank our congressional delegation for their efforts to fight for funds to keep trends in moving throughout our region, not/i our city, and providing bluer skies and better access for all. a big thank you to local leadership, mayor lee and supervisor campos, who was not here, represented by jose luis. especially this supervisors capacity as chair of the transportationwmnçqzr(uáhority d improving muni and making it a transit choice of people want to take instead of transportation of last resort. both grant awards more than $6 million to improve livability and $15 million for the new buses, electric hybrid buses, to support and further the sfmta's plan to member frontline transit service throughout san francisco. i happily in probably serve on

the sfmta board of directors, but if you had done me a few years ago how much time i would spend thinking about buses and transportation systems and that when i visit another city, i envy and have it not only their buses but the transportation systems that they have, i would not have believed you. muni's rapid network which runs along the most heavily traveled corridors will reduce travel time and improve service reliability and enhance the customer experience of not only our existing riders but those we want to add. the investment to optimize the existing service and enhance the customer experience will help us grow this ridership, and that is what we're looking for. by fostering the the bombing of a premier service, we will have more transportation services. we will value and support neighborhoods, lower costs, and enhance economic competitiveness. we have one of the oldest bus fleets in the nation, and we need to upgrade and update this fleak.

we will do so over the next eight to 10 years. this $15 million provided by the federal government in the state of good repair grant will allow us to replace 18 of our 20-year- old buses, and will play an important role in expanding the rapid network service. the new buses will be 40-foot long, low floor, by a diesel electric hybrid. 30% more fuel efficient, and it matter, 40% last nitrous oxide in nitrogen dioxide, and 30% less greenhouse gas. a more efficient muni system means less congestion, reduction in harmful emissions, and improve quality of life. it means to people to visit san francisco, both from within the region and internationally and domestically, are going to look at our fleet in be envious and going to look at our network and hopefully say we can take this home and do it. we will be a laboratory for a lot of the rest of the region in the country. thank you again, dedrick --

dubie director, thank you, mayor. [applause] >>ohz today's announcement is not just good news for san francisco. it is really good news for the entire country. in the bay area, as many of us have a preference, we're part of a network of transportation providers. each one working together with the other. we're pleased to have some of our partners in delivering transit service to the bay area here today. i want to ask them to come up and say a few words, starting with the vice president of the bart board of directors. [applause] >> thanks, everyone, for coming out. this is fantastic news. i have been on the bart board of directors for 15 years now and have really tried to make reinvestment in our system priority one. it is great to hear that echoed back. i think reinvestment in our system, keeping our system-state of the repair is a priority of art.

and it is increasingly what we're hearing from muni. muni is putting a lot of their own operating money into the state of good repair measures. so is barred. it is because we need to. there is a huge demand -- so is embarked. there is a huge demand on transit. ridership is booming -- booming on part -- we're setting records in terms of ridership. we need to expand our system so we can carry more riders on the lines we're currently running. we need to rethink our systemc s we reinvest in other ways. can we make our system more accessible? like the bus you see behind you. low for technologies the future in terms of making transit accessible for all. can we make it cleaner and better environmentally performing like this bus behind you? you have heard about that that muni. one of the big pieces in this grant awardv'p information.

realtime transit information is a fantastic way of taking the two dozen transit system in the region and making the function for the writers as one system. i get thanked all the time for the cooper card, and that was not our doing. but the fact that nobody really knows whose card it is bad that it works on all these system is kind of a triumph. -- but that it works on all these systems is a triumph. if you can coordinate schedules, farises, and make theser÷ñbfsñ transfers seamless, take up the guess work for riders, you take this best investment we have made as a region, and you make it work that much better for riders. we will probably still have two dozen transit agency's 15 years from now. the good news is that increasingly it will not matter. it is going to be a scene was a ride from point a to point b. if we're going to convince folks to get out of their cars and get

has got to be. it has to fill seem less. it has got to be timely. and it cannot leave you guessing. we're one step closer. wanted to thank the fta and therese°1%15pfor the strong emps on state of good repair, making on the region which is a really great thing, considering where we were 40 years ago when we did not have bart. the reinvestment in the system has been tremendous, and we need to keep it up. also, our leadership in congress who are steadfast defenders of public transit and of moving folks. and all of my colleagues in transportation, doing what we can to make the system work for all of you. so thanks again, all of you. [applause] >> thank you, tom. representing our transit agency to the south, the board member and the redwood city council member, jeff.

[applause] >> good morning. on behalf of our board, our organization, and the san mateo county community, i want to thank our federal prison does for their commitment to san mateo county and transportation infrastructure. and to the economic environmental health. the state of good repair grant funding will allow sam trans to update our fleet of buses the latest diesel electric buses that you see. it truly is a win-win-win. for all of us. ridership it's a better ride. the community enjoys the new fleet of buses. and our organization in taxpayers wind up paying less for fuel and maintenance costs. it is a great win win-win the opportunity for all of us. just as importantly, with this grant, we get to free more bay area jobs. these buses will be built right here in a word, and it is part

of the buy american clauses appeared in total, sam trans will be replacing in purchasing 62 new buses. these buses have hundreds of thousands of miles, and having these new brakes, leader buses will be a win for everyone in the community. i would like to thank everyone at the federal level and the regional level. this is a great win for sam ñ and for o. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. our partner to the east, ac transit. my colleague is here for them, elsa ortiz. [applause] >> good morning. as president of the ac transit board of directors and on behalf

of my fellow board members, i want to think the federal transit administration and administrator matt millen for showing an understanding of our $7.5 million grant that will help us maintain bus-reliable service. i also want to thank our east bay congressional delegation for always supporting our efforts and for working so hard on our behalf of the securities grant appeared we know that without congresswoman lee to helping our perpetual fight for fundamental would be much tougher. we need the funding to replace our existing bus fare box system and support equipment. fareboxes are a required element for recording and collecting cash fares on our buses. system failures not only result in lost fare revenues but also costly maintenance, expenses for repair and interruption of

service. ac transit will bite fareboxes and equipment for storage as well as equipment to manage the system. replacement will bring our fair system into a state of good repair and enable us to provide our customer with most reliable transit service. a game, thank you, deputy, and to our congressional delegation for your leadership and steadfast support for public transit. we will put this funding to very good use. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. i will end by echoing her last phrase, and i think i can speak on behalf of all the transit agencies. we will absolutely put these dollars to good use. we will spend them efficiently. thank you again for bringing us this good news. to what everybody else for sharing with us. and thank you for coming out.

-- thank you to everybody else for sharing with us. [applause]