While it remains unclear when Congress will make progress on the re-authorization of the federal transportation bill, here are six bills TSTC supports that are worth mentioning to your congressperson. All may move forward as standalone legislation, or get rolled into the broader re-authorization.

Livable Communities Act (S. 1619 / H.R. 3734) – Gives local governments the tools to integrate their transportation, housing, economic development, energy and environment needs by authorizing $400 million in competitive planning grants and $3.75 billion over three years for implementation of sustainable development projects. The bill also creates an inter-departmental council responsible for coordinating sustainable development policies at Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency and others.
Senate co-sponsors from the region: Dodd* (CT), Menendez (NJ), Schumer (NY)
House co-sponsors from the region: Andrews (NJ-1), Holt (NJ-12), LoBiondo (NJ-2), Pallone (NJ-6), Pascrell (NJ-8), Payne (NJ-10), Rothman (NJ-9), Sires* (NJ-13), Ackerman (NY-5), Arcuri (NY-1), Crowley (NY-7), Hall (NY-19), Maffei (NY-25), Maloney (NY-14), McMahon (NY-13), Meeks (NY-6), Rangel (NY-15), Serrano (NY-16), Towns (NY-10), Velazquez (NY-12).
*Original bill sponsor

Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) – Allocates 2.4% of the proceeds from auctioned emissions permits to fund clean transportation projects that help reduce carbon emissions.  The Senate’s climate bill more than doubles the amount for clean transportation in the House version and substantially incorporates language from a separate marker bill known as CLEAN-TEA (S.575 / H.R. 1329).  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) support of CLEAN-TEA was critical in securing meaningful transportation provisions in the Senate climate bill. House co-sponsors from the region: Tonko (NY-21)

Federal Assistance for Transit Operations (H.R. 2746) – Allow public transit agencies representing cities larger than 200,000 people to flex part of their capital transit funds for operating expenses, creating greater flexibility for use of federal dollars in urban areas.
House co-sponsors from the region: Holt (NJ-12), Pallone (NJ-6), Pascrell (NJ-8), Payne (NJ-10), Sires (NJ-13), Ackerman (NY-5), Hall (NY-19), Higgins (NY-27), Massa (NY-29), McMahon (NY-13), Tonko (NY-21), Weiner (NY-9)

Complete Streets (S.584 / H.R. 1443) – Ensures that all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, children, older individuals and individuals with disabilities are able to travel safely and conveniently on and across federally funded streets and highways.
Senate co-sponsors from the region: NONE
House co-sponsors from the region: DeLauro (CT-3), Holt, (NJ-12), Sires (NJ-14), Maloney (NY-14)

National Transportation Objectives (H.R. 2724) – Sets quantifiable national transportation objectives to ensure that federal transportation investments advance national purposes tied to health outcomes, improvements in the areas of energy efficiency, environmental protection, economic competitiveness, safety, safety, connectivity and equal access.  This would be the first time the country has established a set of quantifiable national transportation objectives since the Eisenhower-era bill that appropriated money to build the interstate highway system.  Some targets in the current version of the bill: reducing driving by 16% and reducing the average household’s combined housing and transportation costs by 25%, over a 20-year period.
House co-sponsors from the region:  Holt* (NJ-12), Payne (NJ-10), Sires (NJ-13), Hall (NY-19), Hinchey (NY-22)
*Original bill sponsor

Transportation Workforce Development Funding (H.R. 2444) – Requires that 0.5 percent of federal Surface Transportation Program and Highway Bridge funding go toward workforce development and  job training.  Dedicated funding for workforce development in transportation sector will greatly benefit communities that are currently left out of the labor force, especially low income communities and communities of color.
House co-sponsors from the region: NONE