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Opinion

Bradford: Sen. Sinema must support Build Back Better Act

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Dear Editor: It may not seem like the negotiations in Congress are going to affect our everyday lives, but they certainly will. Investing in public transportation, which is part of the Build Back Better Act, is the smart thing to do for residents and businesses throughout Phoenix and across the state.

The bill includes $10 billion in funding for a grant program to help local transit systems like Valley Metro expand access to affordable housing, better connecting low-income communities to our city and all the opportunities it has to offer.

As a past chairman of the Encanto Village Planning Committee, I was able to witness first-hand the improvements that the Valley Metro brought to our city, and the value to our residents and businesses. The newly proposed innovative partnership between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Transit Administration to provide critically needed public transit access to affordable housing is a key step in addressing Arizona’s low-income housing crisis, and is an initiative found only in the Build Back Better legislation.

As someone who has been a vital voice of reason in the infrastructure discussion in Washington, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema should help ensure swift passage of the Build Back Better Act with full funding for the public transit grant program as well as high-speed rail.