On Tuesday, the Senate banking committee held a hearing on how the federal government can improve public transportation options. Federal funding is badly needed. Ridership is skyrocketing due to gas prices, while services are being cut due to lack of funds.

A Wall Street Journal article on the issue summed up with a quote from our own Andy Darrell, vice president for Living Cities:

What we're seeing around the country is that transit is underfunded and is having a really hard time meeting that demand," Mr. Darrell said. "Our government should be ready to meet that demand, to embrace it."

The benefits would go way beyond public transportation. As Andy stated in his Senate testimony:

Expanding transit now is just the right tonic to help get through tough economic times. It is also a key solution to tackle climate change, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and boost the economic competitiveness of our population centers.

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.