[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 157 (Tuesday, November 9, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO GORDON J. LINTON

 Mr. SARBANES. I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated and 
effective leader of our Nation's transit program, Gordon J. Linton. 
Gordon recently resigned his post as the thirteenth head of the FTA to 
move on to other opportunities, and I would like to express my 
appreciation for the outstanding work that he has done.
  During his six-year tenure as head of the Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), Gordon Linton has proved to be one of the best 
and most accomplished Administrators. He spearheaded the FTA's Livable 
Communities Initiative which has demonstrated that transit can make a 
substantial contribution toward improving the quality of life in 
communities all across the Nation by improving the links between 
transportation and housing, schools, places of worship, employment and 
recreation. He worked tirelessly to expand citizen participation in the 
decision-making process to help make transit facilities and services 
more customer friendly and community-oriented. He played a key role in 
shaping the transit portion of the landmark Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century--or TEA-21--which is providing record levels of 
funding for public transportation and established the innovative Access 
to Jobs program which is designed to ensure that people in transition 
from welfare to work have adequate transportation services.
  I first came to know Gordon six years ago in July, when I chaired his 
nomination hearing in the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
Committee. It was clear that day, and evident throughout the past six 
years, that Gordon Linton was a passionate advocate for transit. He not 
only designed and directed over $37 billion in federal mass transit 
investments throughout the country--but never forgot that leadership 
begins by example and used public transportation himself to get to work 
and in traveling in communities around America. Mr. Linton came to 
Maryland on numerous occasions to support mass transit projects and 
improvements--projects such as the Baltimore Light Rail system; 
regional transit, such as the MARC commuter rail system; small town and 
rural systems to connect citizens in our rural areas to jobs, health 
care, education. He has done this in Maryland and he has done this in 
every state across the Nation.
  Mr. Linton has exemplified a steadfast commitment to public service 
and public transportation. He is the longest-serving head of the 
Federal transit program since it was enacted in 1961. Before coming to 
Washington, Mr. Linton served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of 
Representatives in Pennsylvania where he was instrumental in passage of 
the Commonwealth's first dedicated source of funding for transit and 
Pennsylvania's seat belt legislation. I am pleased to say that through 
his work as a Pennsylvania legislator and through his sincere, skillful 
shepherding of the Federal transit assistance program, Mr. Linton has 
proven his commitment to improve mobility, invest in our future and 
make America more livable for all Americans.
  Mr. President, I know that every one of us whose constituents have 
benefitted from Gordon J. Linton's leadership of our Federal Transit 
programs wish him well.

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