During the drafting of federal stimulus legislation, Transportation for America — a national coalition of over 225 organizations including Tri-State — was an active voice for increasing transit funds in the package. With the bill signed into law, the coalition is now working to ensure that the next 5-year federal transportation bill tackles the problems facing our nations’ economy, climate, energy security and public health through innovative and sustainable transportation programs and funding. The current federal transportation bill will expire in September.
The February 26 launch of T4America’s campaign platform featured speakers Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Mayor John Robert Smith of Meridan, Mississippi and a panel of experts from the transportation, planning and public health fields.
Central to the platform [PDF] are these six points which encapsulate T4’s vision for the next federal transportation bill:
1. Establish accountability by establishing clear objectives that guide how transportation investments address issues like energy independence, equity, safety, climate change, and so on — and by tying federal funds to achievement of those objectives.
2. Invest to compete in the 21st century by modernizing aging infrastructure and making smart new investments in areas like high-speed rail and long-distance freight.
3. Invest for multiple payoffs in solving our energy, air quality, and climate challenges. By establishing clear objectives and expanding USDOT’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program, federal transportation policy can simultaneously reduce reliance on oil, lower greenhouse gas emissions and clean up polluting ports and trucks.
4. Reward and support smart local land use planning that reduces trip generation and encourages transit-oriented development by providing funding incentives and technical assistance.
5. Invest for public health and safety through complete streets and pedestrian and bicycle-friendly infrastructure that will increase road safety and encourage walking and cycling.
6. Find new ways to pay for transportation that do not reward the states whose populations drive the most, such as a tax on vehicle miles driven.
For updated news and action alerts, visit T4America’s Campaign Blog.
