By Ryan Gray
The Rose Bowl is known as the granddaddy of them all when it comes to college football games, but organizers are now also asserting their power in an attempt to change the current charter rule that usurps a previous agreement with local transit agencies to provide shuttle services to events.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter late last month asking other members of Congress to support a legislative change to the current rule, which is included in the transportation bill reauthorization scheduled for later this summer. Accompanying the letter was a request to House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) suggesting language that according to the National School Transportation Association would significantly change and do much damage to the current charter rule.
While Schiff and Dreier made no mention of school bus charter service, NSTA responded last week by joining other members of the Coalition of Private Passenger Transportation Organizations (COPPTO) in a letter that called upon every member of Congress
“to recognize the unfair advantage federally subsidized public transportation would have if they were allowed to carry out charter service.”
