On behalf of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and its 1,500 member organizations,  Valarie J. McCall, the APTA Chair and board member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, addressed the National Association of Regional Council's (NARC) National Conference of Regions yesterday in Washington, D.C.  APTA President & CEO Michael Melaniphy also participated in a panel on the FAST Act.

McCall congratulated NARC on its role in the passage of FAST Act, the first long-term, fully-funded surface transportation law in more than a decade.  She also urged greater collaboration during the implementation of FAST Act.

"Now is the time for our respective stakeholder groups and the metropolitan planning organizations and  public transit agencies we represent to collaborate more closely than ever before," said McCall.  "Having worked on legislative matters for the city of Cleveland, I know first-hand how important it is to have efficient program delivery on the federal side and to have regional, state and local partners united in working toward the same strategic goals. That's what needs to happen on the FAST Act."

Noting that regional planning is a critical, core theme of the FAST Act, McCall said, "My priority initiative as APTA Chair is to take the already strong partnership that exists between our two organizations and bring it to a new level of excellence.  Through closer collaboration and greater visibility, NARC and APTA will be stronger, more effective, and of greater value to our respective members."

"We always accomplish much more when we work together rather than separately," concluded McCall.  "The FAST Act proves that."