Transportation for America

03/13/2025

Smart Growth America's Equity Summit is two weeks away! We're excited to hear from Christopher C., Former Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy for USDOT, who will be featured in a panel on Reconnecting Communities.

There’s still time to grab your tickets! 👇
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/equity-summit/

03/06/2025

Congress has to prepare a bill to reauthorize the federal highway, transit, and rail programs.

But despite billions spent, we’re not seeing progress on safety, state of repair, congestion, or emissions goals.

Does Congress care? Read more ⤵️

Congress is starting to talk about the next federal transportation bill, due next year. But they seem more concerned with how the money is distributed, to whom and how fast it is being spent rather than what the American people are getting for their tax dollars. With the Infrastructure Investment an...

03/05/2025

Despite historic legislation that supported transportation initiatives, the Biden administration did little to change the nation’s status quo.

Our Outreach Director, Chris Rall, reflected on the lessons our team has learned from this failure. Check it out ⤵️

With the Biden presidency in the rearview mirror, we can look back at where the administration succeeded and failed and what lessons we can take for the future. Joe Biden promised to tackle the climate crisis and address equity in transportation investments. Despite passing major legislation and hir...

02/20/2025

Reconnect America is the new podcast from Solutionary Rail that presents a creative yet common sense vision for U.S. railroads. Weaving together the genius of community and technical experts, workers, policymakers, advocates, and scholars, it reflects a decade of research, writing, and advocacy.

Hear our Chair member, John Robert Smith, how passenger rail could revitalize rural places and reconnect a divided country in this episode👇

Rail Bites are a way for us to share some of the many excerpts from our interviews that stand on their own. Stay tuned for more.

02/13/2025

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, February 25th at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the state of transportation funding, including recent executive orders and the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization.

Use this link to register 👇
https://t4america.org/2025/02/12/webinar-executive-orders-and-reauthorization-navigating-the-future-of-federal-transportation-funding/

Our Director, Beth Osborne, will discuss the state of federal transportation funding, what to expect in the coming months, and how advocates and practitioners can navigate this evolving landscape. We hope to see you there!

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, February 25th at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the state of transportation funding, including recent executive orders and the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization. Register to join us! Federal transportation funding is at a crossroads, with executive orders and US...

02/06/2025

It’s been a frenetic start to President Trump’s second term in office, and transportation funding is already playing a far bigger role than it did during his first. As funding recipients across the country face uncertainty, delays, and outright cuts to obligated funding, our updated analysis finds that over $20 billion for active projects could be eliminated under new memos issued by Secretary Duffy’s DOT.

📢 Check out our latest post for a full recap of what’s happening—and what you can do to protect transportation project funding in your community.

Federal funding recipients across the country are dealing with uncertainty, delays, and outright cuts to obligated funding. Our updated analysis of disbursements at risk finds that over $20 billion for projects currently underway across the country might be eliminated, according to new memos introdu...

02/05/2025

We're hosting a teach-in with the DC Transportation Equity Network about the intersection of disability rights and transportation on 2/27 from 6-7:30 p.m. at our office in DC!

Learn more and sign up to join us: https://secure.everyaction.com/k4kV-SY1wkeBNEXuyEJhkg2

We’ll be discussing the recent update to the District’s Olmstead Plan, a community integration plan for people with disabilities. Hope to see you there!

02/04/2025

Today is Transit Equity Day, which recognizes the courageous acts of civil rights icon, Rosa Parks.

It also serves as a reminder of the importance of equitable public transit.

This includes rural communities. Learn more ⤵️

Transit Equity Day—which honors Civil Rights Leader Rosa Parks—is on February 4th. As we celebrate the importance of ensuring people of all backgrounds and abilities are able to use transportation, it is imperative to highlight communities that are often left out of the public transit conversati...

01/16/2025

As The Biden administration concludes their term, we're reflecting on their efforts in improving our nations transportation system.

Read our detailed breakdown of the administration's accomplishments and the work that remains ⤵️

https://t4america.org/2025/01/15/times-up-what-wins-has-biden-notched-and-what-has-he-left-incomplete-on-transportation/

While there's been some modest success in climate initiatives and infrastructure funding, the fundamental state of the nation's transportation system has seen little transformation over the past four years.

Stay tuned on our to-do list for the incoming Trump administration in their first 100 days.

In November 2020, we sent the incoming Biden administration a memo outlining immediate and longer-term actions we urged the new president to initiate. Four years later, while modest progress has been made on some, it’s hard to say that the transportation system or the most important outcomes by wh...

01/06/2025

Members of our policy team presented our findings from our Fueling the Crisis report today at Transportation Research Board's Annual Meeting here in DC!

Fueling the Crisis reveals that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could result in nearly 190 million metric tons of added emissions by 2040.

Check it out ➡️ t4america.org/fueling-the-crisis/

With the IIJA expiring in 2026, the next transportation bill must focus on cutting emissions by supporting transit, active transportation, and system repair in rural and urban communities alike.

12/19/2024

The surface transportation reauthorization is a process that determines transportation policies, priorities, and funding for years to come.

Check out our new guide to learn more about the process and how you can be part of it ⤵️

https://t4america.org/maps-tools/reauthorization-101/

On average, surface transportation reauthorization bills influence the next five to six years of transportation decisions at the federal level. With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) expiring on September 30, 2026, the next reauthorization is likely to influence the IIJA’s replacement.

12/10/2024

Join us as Beth Osborne, Transportation for America, Katherine Garcia, Sierra Club, and Hana Creger, The Greenlining Institute, share observations on the opportunities and challenges for transportation funding and policies in the new year. Register here: https://buff.ly/3Z6Gvcx

12/10/2024

Did you miss Corrigan Salerno talk about our new report, Fueling the Crisis?

Check out our webinar recording to learn more about our analysis that sheds light on how states have been using federal funds—and the climate implications of their choices ⤵️

In this video, we discuss findings in our new report, Fueling the Crisis, which analyzes the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and its impact on transportat...

11/29/2024

Our Policy Manager, Corrigan Salerno, and author of our new report, Fueling the Crisis, spoke with C-SPAN earlier this week to shed light on where IIJA funds have been allocated, and what we're hoping to see in the future when it comes to transportation investments.

See the full conversation here ⬇️

Corrigan Salerno talked about the state of the nation's infrastructure and the implementation of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

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...