If he backs his words with money, transit will be getting more federal funds in the next few years. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today that buses and trains need to be given greater priority in the transportation mix. This should translate into more money for buses and trains when Congress approves the next massive transportation spending bill.

“We know that everybody can’t afford three automobiles,” LaHood said during a meeting at the Post-Dispatch. “We are pushing very hard for livable commuties, and transit and high speed rail and alternatives to automobiles is a big part of that.”

The current transportation bill, which channels billions of dollars to states annually, expires next month. Congress is considering extending it until members agree on a new piece of funding legislation. U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has a bill that would send $450 billion over six years to states. Of that, 22 percent would go to transit, compared with the 18 percent in the current bill.

Would transit come at the expense of roads and bridges? LaHood was careful when answering this one. The Obama Administration will not raise the gasoline tax, he said. Yet, “There’s not enough money in the highway trust fund to do everything we want to do…. We can do a number of these things without sacrificing one over the other if we do it correctly, if we plan it correctly and if we find the resources to do it.”