As you know, I had the privilege of serving as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Clinton Administration. We had a great visit. He described a vision of an Administration I knew I would be proud to join and that has certainly turned out to be the case. Your organization has identified one of the most important areas of transportation policy and one that is going to see increasingly rapid growth in the coming years. Rail and mass transit systems have captured the attention of the American people as they look for ways to make their commutes easier and more convenient.
Public transportation is no longer just an option, but a necessity to commuters nationwide.
More people than ever are taking transit and rail to work, to school and other destinations. A total of 9.4 billion rides were taken on the nation s trains and buses last year, the highest number of trips in more than 40 years, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Heavy and light rail and commuter rail were among the modes with the greatest percentage increases in ridership for 2000. This is great news because our roadways and airways are in need of relief. Congestion and delay in both of those modes not only waste our time as individuals, they burden our businesses and our entire economy with inefficiency and higher costs.