Breaking Down the Blueprint: Climate Stability and Environmental Protection
May 29, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
| The T4 America Blueprint has six overarching national objectives to provide a new vision and guide our federal transportation policy. If our transportation system is in need of a clear purpose, these six objectives are like the rudder that will steer the ship. To ensure that we can meet these objectives and measure our progress, we created 10 performance targets — clear, quantifiable goals for the next 20 years that are tied directly to the six national objectives. |
Ed. note: This is a continuing series of posts breaking down the six objectives in our Route to Reform Blueprint. While we’re trying to explain the Blueprint in simpler terms, it’s a document full of complicated policies geared at Congress and these posts are fairly detailed.
On Wednesday, we looked at the second of our six National Transportation Objectives and two corresponding performance targets. This second objective describes our goal of building a transportation system that protects our communities from pollution, preserves our environment, and helps us protect our climate.
As a refresher:
As we’ve noted in our previous post, transportation comprises 30 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Simply put, to address climate change and global warming, we’re going to have to cut carbon emissions from the transportation sector across the board.
We can begin by creating cleaner fuels and using more efficient cars, buses, and trains. In this respect, this week’s announcement by the Obama administration of increased efficiency standards is an important step. But if we expect to reach the widely accepted goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, we can’t just drive cars that don’t emit as much pollution or get better mileage. We need a transportation policy that helps us drive less, that provides better and cleaner options, that makes it easy for us to walk to the store, and that allows us to live closer to our schools and jobs.
Reducing emissions and pollution from our transportation system is also an important step in making Americans healthier. Today, low-income people are subject to an undue share of the negative effects of our transportation policy; oftentimes, the less money you make the more at-risk you are for asthma and numerous other ailments tied to the quality of our air and water. Transportation for America not only is making environmental protection a goal of our Blueprint, but is also calling for policies that promote environmental justice and help protect at-risk populations.
While the programs throughout the entire Blueprint are geared towards meeting this objective of climate stability and environmental protection, we’re including a few examples of our policies and priorities here to give you a general sense of how we plan to achieve this goal.
(Continue Reading)
Tell your Senator to sponsor the Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009 (S.1036)
May 29, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Would you believe that the United States of America has no overarching strategy that determines when, how, or where transportation dollars are spent? No plan. No vision. No goal. Senators Lautenberg and Rockefeller are trying to change that.
A few weeks ago, they introduced a bill that sets a bold new vision for federal transportation policy that’s in line with our goals for reform: building a cleaner, smarter, safer system that provides more travel choices for all Americans. But their bill — and real reform — needs the support of many more senators to become the law of the land. Ask yours to become cosponsors of the Transportation Policy and Planning Act of 2009 today.
In contrast to the transportation bills passed since 1991, this bold bill lays out clear guidelines for exactly what the next five-year federal transportation spending plan should accomplish, and several of Transportation for America’s proposals from our recently-released Blueprint were echoed clearly in the legislation.
- Reduce delay per capita by 10 percent,
- Reduce national motor vehicle-related fatalities by 50 percent, and
- Reduce national surface transportation-generated carbon dioxide levels by 40 percent, all by the year 2030.
If we’re going to get a truly transformative transportation bill in 2009, getting a large number of Senators to support this smart, principled bill would be a huge step in the right direction. As Sen. Frank Lautenberg told the Washington Post, “a national surface transportation policy for our country is long overdue. We need a transportation policy that reestablishes our leadership throughout the world when it comes to transportation — and meets our country’s transportation demands for generations to come.”
Write your Senator and tell them to cosponsor this important legislation today.
Today’s Headlines — 05/29/09
May 29, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- The price of oil continues to rise. (Washington Post)
- The Sacramento Business Journal looks at the challenges older Americans face in getting where they need to go.
- A new set of maps from the Center for Neighborhood Technology shows household greenhouse gas emissions in cities and their suburbs. (Switchboard — NRDC)
- The records show President Obama as an early backer of complete streets. (Streetsblog)
Help Dan. Save Traffic
May 28, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Dan loves traffic. But Congress could take it all away when they consider this year’s reauthorization of the federal transportation bill. Will they give us the kinds of transportation options that could suck the lifeblood right out of traffic? Or will they simply pump more money into a broken system. Dan is waiting to find out.
From the T4 America Youtube Channel.
New policy paper: Transportation in small towns and rural regions
May 28, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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| Check out the sixth in our ongoing series of policy briefs. These policy briefs are short, four-page, concise summaries of an issue with interesting facts and some clear recommendations for improvement through the federal transportation bill. Download this Brief (pdf) |
Smaller towns and rural communities face a different set of issues than urban or suburban America, and we need a transportation program that recognizes those differences, provides access for all people, and helps them succeed economically.
In our webinar two weeks ago, we talked about transportation challenges and solutions in smaller towns and rural areas, and we encourage you to download the accompanying policy brief on Transportation, Small Towns and Rural Communities.
As the policy brief makes clear, our current transportation program leaves rural communities stranded.
Providing access to jobs and the economy is critical for these rural areas and smaller towns. Unfortunately, since many of the decisions about how to invest in transportation are made at the state and federal level, local residents often have little say over how their transportation dollars are spent.
The 56 million residents of rural areas and small towns – about 20 percent of the population of the United States – often fall through the cracks of federal transportation policy.
These towns have higher concentrations of elderly and low-income citizens, who face unique challenges in accessing their jobs, school or civic life. In addition, children in rural areas are 25 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than those in urban areas and face unique barriers to being active and maintaining a healthy weight.
Consider five short facts from this brief:
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Rural transportation connects people to jobs, health care, and family and contributes to regional economic growth by linking businesses to customers, goods to markets, and tourists to destinations. Research has shown that rural and small metropolitan transit services offer measurable economic benefits. In one study, rural counties with transit service were found to have 11 percent greater average net earnings growth over counties without transit, and the estimated annual impact of rural public transportation on the national economy was over $1.2 billion.
Bottom line? Our nation’s transportation infrastructure should provide access for all Americans, regardless of their geographic location, age, income, or disability status. We need to care for our existing transportation network, while ensuring that we build a 21st century system that will allow residents of rural communities, small cities, and small towns to thrive.
Check out the webinars page to listen to or watch a recording of our recent session on this topic.
Webinar Series: Transportation and the Economy
May 28, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Can smarter transportation investments play a part in bringing about an economic recovery?
Join us as we discuss the connections between transportation and economic opportunity tomorrow, Friday, April 29 from 1-3 p.m. EDT. Speakers will explore how the transportation sector drives the economy and creates employment opportunities for American workers. Topics will include the transportation sector’s ability to create good jobs and sustain global growth, and the use of transportation as a driver of neighborhood revitalization.
A panel of experts on economic opportunity will lead our discussion, including Carmen Rhodes, Executive Director of FRESC, Mac Lynch, Program Associate at Apollo Alliance, Peter Skinner, Director of Transportation & Land Use at Silicon Valley Leadership Group. The session will be moderated by Dena Belzer, President of Strategic Economics.
Registration is free and open to the public — visit www.t4america.org/webinars to register today.
Today’s Headlines — 05/28/09
May 28, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- Montana looks to capitalize on the stimulus with passenger rail funding. (USA Today)
- Members of the U.S. House prepare to unveil their version of the next transportation bill. (The Hill)
- A new study shows that few shoppers in downtown San Francisco are getting to their destinations by car. (Streetsblog SF)
- New emissions standards help drive investment in greener technology. (Reuters)
Breaking Down the Blueprint: Climate Stability and Environmental Protection
May 27, 2009By Andrew Bielak
We continue our series on the Transportation for America Blueprint this week with a look at the second of six core objectives we believe Congress must embrace in the next transportation bill — environmental protection, climate stability, and environmental justice.
As we’ve discussed here before, our Blueprint has six overarching national objectives, which we believe should provide a vision for the future and a guide for our federal transportation policy. One of the biggest criticisms leveled at our country’s transportation spending is that there are no clear goals for what the money should accomplish. Therefore, T4 America is looking to define a clear purpose for our system — and these six objectives are like the rudder to steer the ship.
To ensure that we can meet these objectives and measure our progress, we created 10 performance targets — clear, quantifiable goals for the next 20 years that are tied directly to the six national objectives. (You can see the two that most directly link in with this objective at the top of this post.)
Our country needs a transportation system that keeps our air clean, helps us fight climate change, and protects all Americans — no matter who they are or where they live — from dangerous environmental pollution. Unfortunately, our existing policies — which subsidize sprawling development and foster dependence on automobiles — have made protecting our environment and our communities an increasingly challenging task.
Thirty percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States comes from transportation, which produces more CO2 than any other country’s entire economy, save China. And while policymakers in Congress have mandated increased fuel efficiency for automakers in order to help reduce emissions, the sheer growth in the number of miles Americans drive — and lack of other viable transportation options — threatens to overwhelm these benefits.
As we described in our previous post on public health and safety, pollution from automobiles and other sources can have devastating effects on people’s health, particularly in the poorer or impoverished communities that often bear the brunt of these negative impacts.
In order to guide our transportation program and help create a safer, cleaner, and healthier system, Transportation for America believes in that we should strive to meet these two performance measures:
- Reduce transportation-generated carbon dioxide levels by 40%.
- Achieve zero percent exposure to at-risk levels of air pollution.
To achieve these goals, we’re going to need some real reforms, direct accountability, and a strong commitment to a 21st transportation system. This commitment must include the construction of the second half of our transportation network — including public transportation, bike and pedestrians paths, and high-speed rail — a stronger linkage between transportation and land use policies, and repairs and maintenance on our existing infrastructure to help Americans save time, money and fuel. Investing in the transportation systems that emit less pollution while moving people more efficiently will help us reach these ambitious targets.
To get a better idea of how we plan to enact these reforms, check back later this week when we dive into the specific policies and proposals that T4 America is supporting — and see how an improved transportation system can protect our environment, fight climate change, and foster healthy, clean, pollution-free communities.
Today’s Headlines — 05/27/09
May 27, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- Not everyone is happy with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s support for more transportation options and less overall driving. (thenewspaper.com)
- New York Times columnist Bob Herbert throws his support behind an infrastructure bank to help stimulate the economy.
- Decline in advertising sales causes more financial pain for New York City’s transit agency. (New York Times)
Today’s Headlines — 05/26/09
May 26, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- Rail connections become increasingly important for air travel. (USA Today)
- Federal stimulus dollars help fund high-tech road projects. (Stateline.org)
- The National Journal’s Experts Blog asks its contributors how demographic changes should impact transportation policy.
- A look at the next transportation bill from a Houston Chronicle columnist.
- New York City closes a portion of Broadway from cars. (New York Times)
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- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
March 8, 2010 - Transit riders in Atlanta face massive cuts, “wholesale restructuring” of service
March 5, 2010 - Opposition to Senate extension results in looming shutdown of federal transportation programs
February 26, 2010 - T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010 - Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010
- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
The United States of Transit Cutbacks
Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
Transportation: In your eyes
Send us your transportation-related photos.
