00:00Mr. Regan, your testimony notes that too often the discussion around public transit focus
00:11exclusively on costs and revenues. This is a reductive approach that fails to recognize
00:19transit's role as a public service. These same discussions often fail to mention the
00:26far larger subsidies given to highway projects. What is the role of transit as a public service
00:33and why it does not make sense to evaluate transit or other forms of transportation by
00:44how much of the revenue they generate?
00:49Thank you for the question. When I think of public transportation, I think the word public
00:53is so critical there. I think about the other areas where we use that word when we describe
00:56a service, whether it be public libraries, public parks, public schools, public roads,
01:02as you noted. All of that, when we say public, it means building the community. It means
01:06making sure that we are tying community together and providing resources for the citizens of
01:10that community. And public transit is an economic lifeblood of cities large and small all around
01:15this country. And we should not be looking at it in terms of dollars and cents. We should
01:19be looking at the value add it brings to communities all throughout our country.
01:26Ms. Maynard, your testimony highlights how safe it is to travel by public transportation.
01:35In fact, traveling by public transportation is ten times safer than traveling by car.
01:44Even though transit agencies are already very safe, what actions are the Regional Transportation
01:51Commission of Southern Nevada and other American public transportation association members
01:58taking to further ensure a safe travel experience?
02:03Thank you for that question. And again, as I previously mentioned, it really is a partnership
02:09that public transit agencies need to ensure that they are working closely with the communities
02:14in which they serve for those social services, that connection, law enforcement, the security
02:20and transit agencies themselves that have their own security firms. And I think it's
02:25important, too, that certainly in Southern Nevada, we have one of the deadliest head
02:32pedestrian vehicle deaths rates in the United States. Public transit is safer, and it's
02:38ensuring that we are providing services that can help reduce some of the congestion. As
02:44an example, now that we are not only the entertainment capital of the world, but also now the sports
02:50capital of the world, we provide something called Game Day Express. And we are allowing
02:55folks that would normally drive into the Elite Stadium off of Las Vegas Boulevard. By doing
03:00that, we're keeping about 2,000 cars off the strip in that area. That certainly, that less
03:07congestion improves safety. So it's really a multi-pronged approach in terms of ensuring
03:14that roadways are safe by having folks travel in public transit, but also looking at ways
03:19to ensure that the traveling public and the operators and the employees are safe.
03:24Another question for you, Ms. Maynard. Your testimony also addresses ongoing efforts across
03:31the United States by public transit agencies to regain riders after the pandemic. In the
03:39District of Columbia, which I represent, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
03:45is undergoing a bus network redesign to update its legacy bus routes and better serve the
03:55current needs of riders. Why is it important for transit agencies to conduct community
04:03outreach and modernize service levels and routes to attract and retain riders?
04:16We are in the people business. We are connecting people and providing places where they need
04:21to go. It's very important that we understand those travel patterns. I think your CEO, Rennie
04:25Clark, has done a tremendous job here in Washington understanding that the commute travel patterns
04:30have changed, and it's about reallocating those resources. And so if you previously,
04:36pre-pandemic, had a heavy commute pattern, less trips on the weekend, that's how your
04:43teams will schedule those transit trips. When you see those travel patterns changing, you
04:48adjust accordingly. It's something they've done here very well in Washington, and other
04:52transit systems are doing the exact same thing as it relates to, particularly, the commuter
04:55rail pattern or commuter passenger travel.
05:00Thank you very much, Ms. Maynard, and I yield back.
05:02The gentleman yields. Mr. LaMalfa.
05:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Scribner.
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