Transportation for America

11/21/2024

"For over 30 years, promises about what our transportation system can deliver have fallen short, failing Americans. Too many people are dying on our roads, commutes are longer, choices are meager, congestion is worse, and the system continues to harm communities and public health. While Sean Duffy has little experience in transportation, that could mean he will bring a fresh perspective to the status quo — or he may struggle to pull the appropriate levers to drive much-needed change." Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America, in a statement to Streetsblog USA.

Check out the full article ⤵

Former Fox News host, congressman, reality TV star and competitive lumberjack Sean Duffy has sad he wants to "take an ax" to Washington. Will non-automotive modes get the chop, too?

11/19/2024

After careful consideration, we're sad to announce that we have decided to pause TransportationCamp DC this coming January.

For years, we’ve enjoyed hosting the event and bringing together transportation leaders and advocates to share ideas, shape the future of mobility, and tackle pressing challenges like emissions reduction and street safety.

This was a difficult decision, and we know this news may be disappointing. We're hopeful this is an opportunity for us to reimagine how we can sustain the “unconference” in Washington, DC going forward.

You can read our full statement about this decision here ⤵
https://t4america.org/2024/11/19/a-pause-for-transportationcamp-dc/

11/13/2024

🚨 A huge portion of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding has ultimately contributed to increased transportation emissions.

Our new analysis, led by Corrigan Salerno, sheds light on how states have been using these federal funds—and the climate implications of their choices.

Learn more ➡️ https://t4america.org/fueling-the-crisis/

States have poured billions into projects that expand highways, generating the equivalent of 77 million metric tons of CO2 emissions—undoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s time for policies that prioritize safety, access, and sustainability.

Check out our findings and recommendations for a better path forward.

On November 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law. The IIJA included a five-year transportation authorization for U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) programs, plus a standalone infrastructure law representing the largest-eve...

11/12/2024

A Bloomberg article by David Zipper spotlights our Director, Beth Osborne, and her thoughts about what another Trump administration means for our nations transit system.

Read the full article
👉 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-12/what-trump-s-win-means-for-us-transportation-priorities

"I would love to see people on both sides of the aisle introducing bills proposing changes in federal transportation, because it’s not working out well for cities or rural areas. Rural places don’t need the transportation investment that farmland does. They need the investment that my DC neighborhood has, with a main street, a downtown strip, and kids being able to walk to schools that are close to them. Instead, we keep building highways." Beth Osborne

The Biden administration made high-profile commitments to cutting emissions, boosting urban transit and improving traffic safety. Now the road ahead looks very different.

10/29/2024

State-owned roadways are some of the deadliest in the nation for people walking. However, design changes on these deadly roadways often face pushback from state DOTs—even when those same DOTs claim that safety is their number one priority.

We can’t curb the danger with more of the same. Here's how state DOTs and our federal leaders can help find new solutions that put safety first.

Ask anyone at a state DOT, and they’ll tell you that safety is their top priority. Despite these good intentions, our streets keep getting more deadly. To reverse a decades-long trend of steadily increasing pedestrian deaths, state DOTs and federal leaders will need to fundamentally shift their ap...

10/28/2024

High-speed designs deprioritize those walking, biking, or rolling, making our roads for everyone but drivers. In order to better protect those outside of cars on our streets, road designs must prioritize .

Learn more in this blog post by Jaibin Mathew ⤵

https://t4america.org/2024/10/28/why-we-need-to-prioritize-safety-over-speed/

Current federal spending often leads to road expansion, which increases congestion and emissions. Federal dollars should fund road designs that save lives, not ones that encourage speeding.

It’s not enough to lower speed limits—roadways must be redesigned to encourage slower, safer driving. Federal and local policies must focus on creating roads that serve everyone safely, not just vehicle efficiency.

Our roads have never been deadlier for people walking, biking, and rolling and the federal government and state DOTs are not doing enough. If we want to fix this, we have to acknowledge the fact that our roads are dangerous and finally make safety a real priority for road design, not just a sound bi...

10/16/2024

For too long, Congress has allowed states to neglect their maintenance needs in favor of costly road expansions with no clear plan to keep them in good condition.

Allowing for roadway expansion at the expense of maintenance is not only a wasted opportunity to invest in a more inclusive transit system—it also impacts our social, economic, and environmental health.

We believe in an approach that values fixing what we have first. Learn more about our principle 👉

To reshape our transportation system and address staggering maintenance needs, we must prioritize repairing existing infrastructure before expanding our roadways any further.

10/10/2024

Our federal transportation investments have often focused on highway expansions rather than building out our entire transportation network 👎

In this blog post, T4A's Policy Manager, Corrigan Salerno, offers four actionable steps for federal leaders to shift this imbalance and ensure all communities can thrive 👉 https://t4america.org/2024/10/10/four-ways-our-federal-leaders-can-invest-in-the-rest/

It’s time for smarter, more inclusive infrastructure policies that , prioritizing equity and access for everyone.

While we might have the most extensive highway infrastructure in the world, our system is delivering pitifully poor results compared to our peers when it comes to cost, efficiency, emissions, and safety. What can Congress and USDOT do to invest in the rest?

10/09/2024

At Transportation for America, we've identified three key principles for the next federal investment in transportation and infrastructure. This week, we're focusing on our newest principle, .

Find out more in this blog by Elisa Ramirez:
https://t4america.org/2024/10/08/time-to-tip-the-scales-in-favor-of-more-transportation-options/

For decades, funding public transit and options to walk and bike has been severely deprioritized. In order to decrease emissions and pedestrian deaths, and reduce congestion, federal leaders must invest in more transportation alternatives.

For decades, federal highway funding and funding for all other types of transportation (public transit, opportunities to walk and bike) have been severely unbalanced. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pedestrian deaths, and traffic, the Department of Transportation must invest in more tra...

10/08/2024

Federal transportation policy is at a crossroads. Our roads, bridges, transit, and sidewalks are in disrepair; pedestrian fatalities and emissions are rising; and many people lack safe, affordable access to jobs and services. Yet, Congress continues to throw more money at the same failing system.

With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expiring in 2026, it’s time for a smarter approach. We're calling on Congress to prioritize maintenance, design for safety over speed, and invest in a full, multimodal transportation system that works for everyone.

Learn more about our three principles for for future federal investments in our nations infrastructure ⤵

Our three principles: A new plan for infrastructure beyond “spend more money” We are spending more than $50 billion in federal tax dollars every year, which fails to bring us equivalent returns. The more we spend, the more congestion, emissions, and pedestrian fatalities seem to rise, all while ...

10/08/2024

Federal transportation policy is at a crossroads. Our roads, bridges, transit, and sidewalks are in disrepair; pedestrian fatalities and emissions are rising; and many people lack safe, affordable access to jobs and services. Yet, Congress continues to throw more money at the same failing system.

With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expiring in 2026, it’s time for a smarter approach. We're calling on Congress to prioritize maintenance, design for safety over speed, and invest in a full, multimodal transportation system that works for everyone.

Learn more about our three principles for for future federal investments in our nations infrastructure ⤵

A better plan for U.S. infrastructure Americans want a transportation system that gets them where they need to go safely and efficiently. Unfortunately, our transportation investments for the last several decades have failed to develop a system that can accomplish this one, essential task. No matter...

10/02/2024

The RECHARGE-EV Act, introduced by Representative David Trone could boost rural communities and travelers’ experience by allowing EV funds to serve economic development.

Read our take on the RECHARGE-EV Act here: https://t4america.org/2024/10/02/maximizing-the-benefits-of-ev-charging-with-the-recharge-ev-act/

At Transportation for America, we coined the term "charger-oriented development," which describes what this act aims to do: co-locate chargers with other services to support small-town business and a better traveler experience.

This is a big deal, considering a new paper from MIT finds that spending increases around where EV chargers are sited, even outside of high-income areas.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is rolling out billions in funding for high-powered electric vehicle chargers along highways, but the main beneficiary of these funds has been gas stations—missing out on prime opportunities to support other local businesses. A new bill introduced ...

09/19/2024

While California boasts climate-friendly investments, they've spent a significant portion of transit funding on highway expansions.

The Transportation Accountability Act would help ensure their spending meets larger climate goals.

Learn more from our Policy Manager, Corrigan Salerno, who originally co-authored this op-ed for Next City. ⤵

Without full transparency on California’s transportation spending, the state’s transportation investments will never align with our climate goals.

08/14/2024

☀ This summer, temperatures have soared to record-breaking highs, putting a strain on our existing infrastructure and exposing the limitations of our current approach to transportation.

⭐ Read more ➡ https://t4america.org/2024/08/13/transportation-and-extreme-heat/

⏳ Whether it's travel delays or safety concerns for commuters, has a negative effect on transportation infrastructure. And we need policies that mitigate these impacts and build resilience to our changing climate.

🚍 🌇 Learn more about transit and extreme heat in our latest blog.

Recent record-breaking temperatures demonstrate that we can no longer rely on old design approaches to meet the needs of our communities. Transportation infrastructure is no exception. Extreme heat can cause road surfaces to buckle and rail tracks to warp, leading to significant travel disruptions a...

08/08/2024

“What’s continually been shown is that these capacity expansion projects are not actually reducing emissions at all.” -Corrigan Salerno, policy associate with Transportation for America, talking about IIJA funding in Bloomberg ⤵

Several US states are tapping a federal carbon reduction program to fund highway projects, arguing that adding vehicle lanes can bring emissions down.