Author Archive
New York Senator Chuck Schumer stumping for $2 billion transit aid bill
Last week, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a top Democrat in Washington and influential policy player, spoke out forcefully in favor of the Public Transportation Preservation Act, a $2 billion lifeline for the nation’s transit agencies. The Act would provide emergency operating aid for buses, subways and other systems throughout the country and would give a significant boost to the tri-state region.
Making Normal, Illinois the new “norm” for transportation planning
Last week, Transportation for America Director James Corless was in Normal, Illinois, a town of 45,000 and recipient of a $22 million grant for a new city transportation hub, touting the project as a model for smarter federal transportation spending in the next six-year transportation bill.
Dozens of bicyclists ride to USDOT Friday to tell Secretary LaHood “thanks”
Transportation for America was proud to co-author and circulate a letter thanking Secretary Ray LaHood for USDOT’s policy statement elevating walking and biking in national policy. Last Friday, several of us at T4 cycled with a handful of national partners to DOT Headquarters across town to thank the Secretary in person.
T4 America’s rural and small town partners take their transportation message to Capitol Hill
Tuesday’s Congressional lobby day hosted by Transportation for America on the needs of rural and small-town America displayed a growing urgency for transportation options, livable communities and good access to jobs and opportunity — as great as one would find in any of our nation’s urban and metropolitan centers.
American Public Health Association outlines hidden health costs of transportation
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama earlier this year was a down payment on expanding health coverage and lowering costs. But the work does not stop there. A truly comprehensive approach to health must account for transportation’s role in how we move and our levels of physical activity. The American Public Health Association tackles just that in a new report titled “the Hidden Health Costs of Transportation.”
Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” report says walking and biking key to healthier kids
Earlier this month, we highlighted two reports on the integral link between health and transportation. First Lady Michelle Obama’s recent Let’s Move report on childhood obesity goes one step further — endorsing a new surface transportation bill that encourages more walking and biking.
Guest post: public transit made accessible in Mississippi’s capital city
In the midst of discouraging news from hundreds of transit agencies across the country facing difficult choices in the midst of budget crises (see our map), we bring some encouraging news from Mississippi, and an update to a story we’ve covered previously in this guest post.
Business Leaders Emphasize Economic Potential of a Renewed Vision for the Nation’s Transportation Program
Business and transportation industry leaders today joined Transportation for America for a briefing on Capitol Hill to underscore the potential of a reformed, multi-year transportation bill to boost the economy and create lasting jobs across the country. Business leaders from Siemens, IBM and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which represents more than 300 major companies in the Silicon Valley including Yahoo!, Microsoft and AT&T, highlighted the power of new and innovative policies to revolutionize the transportation sector, make our country more economically competitive for the 21st century and provide working Americans the affordable options they need to get to their jobs every day.
Nationwide reports identify transportation policy as essential to improving health
Two reports out this week highlight growing awareness of the integral link between health and transportation. The CDC report acknowledges what T4 America has stressed for months: not only is our nation’s approach to transportation outdated and inefficient, it also takes a toll on our health and quality of life.
Reports from AASHTO and U.S. PIRG highlight an unsustainable transportation status quo
Two reports out this week speak, in quite different ways, to the urgent need for a fresh approach to federal transportation policy. In “Road Work Ahead”, U.S. PIRG sounds the alarm on the escalating deterioration of America’s infrastructure and the need to get serious about repair and restoration. The “Unlocking Gridlock” report from AASHTO emphasizes the problem of congestion in our increasingly urbanized nation, offering highway expansion as the solution.
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