All posts from the month of June 2009
How have states fared with the billions in transportation stimulus funds?
June 29, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
You may recall that the $787 billion economic stimulus bill that passed in February had nearly $30 billion allocated for transportation investments. That money was given out to states and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) — largely free of any criteria or requirements for what projects it should be spent on.
Smart Growth America released a report today examining how well states have been spending these billions. As they say on the Smart Growth America blog today, not only did the money arrive in a time of economic recession, but “at a time of embarrassingly large backlogs of road and bridge repairs, inadequate and underfunded public transportation systems, and too-few convenient, affordable transportation options.”
So after 120 days, how have states done in addressing these pressing needs and investing in progress for their communities?
After analyzing project descriptions provided by states and MPOs, Smart Growth America found forward looking states and communities that used the stimulus money as flexibly as possible, repairing roads and bridges and making the kinds of smart, 21st century transportation investments that their communities need to support strong economic growth.
Other states and communities missed this golden opportunity to create jobs while making progress on their most pressing transportation needs. These states spent their precious funds on building new roads rather than repairing existing roads, and ignored the chance to spend the money flexibly on the kinds of options that their residents really want — like public transportation or streets safe for walking and biking — leaving their communities stuck in traffic and stuck in the past.
…Despite the golden opportunity of extra funding, most states did not use the opportunity to make as much progress as possible on long-term goals. Even though repair backlogs can stretch years or decades into the future, nearly one-third of the money, $6.6 billion, went towards roadway new capacity projects. At a time when public transportation ridership is hitting all-time highs and the budget crunch is causing transit agencies to cut routes, service and jobs, an abysmal 2.8% was spent on public transportation. Only 0.9% percent was spent on non-motorized projects (i.e., bike and pedestrian projects).
Read more about the report and download the full version from Smart Growth America.
Today’s Headlines — 06/29/09
June 29, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- AASHTO’s president says gas taxes need to go up. (Baltimore Sun)
- Protecting our climate and gaining more energy independence begins, and doesn’t end, with the climate bill making its way through Congress. (Reuters)
- The speed of spending federal stimulus dollars remains a contentious issue. (USA Today)
- Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar looks to make his mark with the next transportation bill. (Congressional Quarterly)
Daily Headlines — 06/26/09
June 26, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- In the aftermath of Washington DC’s Metro crash, Time magazine looks America’s aging transit systems.
- Members of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee argue against looking at immediate transportation reform. (Streetsblog)
- House Rep. Edward Markey sees the climate bill getting signed before 2010. (National Journal)
- Driving numbers could be low again for the summer of 2009. (Wall Street Journal)
Today’s Headlines — 06/25/09
June 25, 2009By Andrew Bielak
- Paratransit — which is used to provide critical transportation service for people with disabilities — faces severe funding challenges in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)
- DC’s Metro tragedy makes clear the need for repair work on America’s aging rail system. (New York Times)
- Some city officials say the distribution of stimulus funds favors small towns and rural areas. (Los Angeles Times)
- Representative John Mica, the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, discusses the new transportation bill. (PBS)
Chairman Oberstar’s comments on today’s subcommittee markup
June 24, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
h/t Twitter @JimOberstar
How does the new transportation bill draft measure up?
June 24, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
| “A bill to transform Federal surface transportation to a performance-based framework to reduce fatalities and injuries on our Nation’s highways, address the mobility and access needs of people and goods, improve the condition, performance, and connectivity of the United States intermodal surface transportation system, provide transportation choices for commuters and travelers, promote environmental sustainability, public health, and the livability of communities, support robust investment in surface transportation, and for other purposes.” |
That’s how the new 775-page draft of the House Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 opens up. Considering that this is federal legislation here — not literature — that’s a pretty lofty opening to guide the upcoming six-year transportation bill.
But does reality match the rhetoric in the 774 pages that follow?
| Read the official T4 America statement on the bill draft |
First, Chairman James Oberstar is to be commended for releasing a draft bill that goes beyond just reauthorizing a modified version of the existing transportation law (SAFETEA-LU). There are some real signs of change in this bill and transportation reform advocates across the board are encouraged by the overall language and direction of the bill. Compared with the opening paragraph of the last bill (Wait, there were no opening principles!), STAA is off to a great start.
While there are principles and vision in the introduction about performance, connectivity, environmental sustainability, public health, livability; reading the fine print in the legislation leaves unanswered questions and areas of concern — such as how funding will be allocated among programs. Most obvious, as others have pointed out, is the omission of dollar amounts for specific programs, formulas and sources of funding. A final verdict on this draft won’t be complete without knowing answers to the funding questions.
| “Having individual programs that work better is certainly a step in the right direction, but it is absolutely critical to be sure those programs work together towards achieving a set of national objectives.” |
| — James Corless, T4 America |
Once you dig into the fine print, it becomes clear that although individual programs are assigned certain goals and performance measures, there are no clear, cross-cutting, national performance targets for measuring the success or failure overall of such a massive investment.
Though Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of spending money on infrastructure and transportation — and can even get behind increased taxes to do so — that support generally comes with the caveat that they want to know we’re buying something useful, and not just spending twice as much money to do more of the same.
With a price tag between $450 billion and $500 billion for this transportation bill — almost twice the cost of the last bill — it’s more important than ever to have positive answers to some big-picture issues. That’s why we need to ask some critical questions about this legislation: If the bill got passed:
- Would more Americans have low-cost, convenient travel and living options?
- Would more Americans have easier access to jobs?
- Would older Americans have more options for aging in place and low-income households have more affordable transportation choices?
- Would fewer Americans die or be injured, whether while driving, walking, bicycling or taking transit?
- Would we be able to reduce emissions and cut energy use while still providing choices for getting from A to B?
- Would America be able to continue competing economically on the world stage?
Here is a quick look at some of the positive things in the bill, and some that need improvement or are sorely lacking. Keep in mind that these are in flux and can be improved with even small changes to language of the bill. The funding levels that are to be determined will also have a major impact in where these different issues ultimately stack up.
Continue reading below the fold to see a short breakdown of the good, the needs-improvement, and the missing elements.
(Continue Reading)
Transportation bill being considered: Join us for a national call-in day today
June 24, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
| We need you to make one call to Congress and ensure that transportation spending delivers. Click here for details on making a call. |
| Or just call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell your Representative to support the National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009. (HR 2724) |
As we post this, Chairman James Oberstar’s transportation bill draft is being “marked up” in a House subcommittee. As that committee works on the bill and news about the bill is fresh in the minds of House members, we are organizing a national call-in day today to make sure that Congress gets our message loud and clear:
No new money without reforming the system.
Can you help out by calling your Representative today? It will make a real difference, and it only takes about one minute. Information on how to call at right or bottom, or click here
The draft bill has a lot of what Transportation for America, our coalition, and our many supporters have been pushing for, but today, it still falls short. As it stands today, it leaves out something crucial: Clear national priorities for what $450 billion in transportation spending will achieve.
Without over-arching goals and targets — like lower energy consumption, reduced emissions, greater affordability, or expanded access to transportation choices for all Americans — there’s no way to be sure billions of dollars in transportation spending will truly deliver clean, safe and smart transportation. We can definitely do better. We can’t keep pouring our precious tax dollars into the same old flawed transportation system that leaves us stuck without options.
Help us get a real plan that delivers. Call your member of Congress today:
- Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your representative’s office.
- Tell the staff member answering the phone where you’re calling from, and that you’d like to urge the representative to support the National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009 (H.R. 2724). You can add:
- You are a constituent and a supporter of the Transportation for America coalition.
- You want to make sure the billions spent on transportation help us cut down on emissions, give us real energy security, and provide us with more affordable options for getting from A to B.
- No new money for transportation without reforming the system and making it accountable and measurable.
- Then let us know you made the call
House Transportation Bill Lays Groundwork for Reform, But Key Details are Missing, Significant Work Still Needed
June 23, 2009By Transportation for America
| CONTACT: Ben Grossman-Cohen 202-478-6185, 917-282-8546 bgrossman-cohen@mrss.com |
| Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128, 202-904-7466 cbullock@mrss.com |
| Download this release (pdf) (doc) |
Sub-committee consideration set for Wed., kicking off debate over America’s largest infrastructure investment
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday Representative James Oberstar (D-MN), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the long-anticipated first draft of the Surface Transportation authorization bill to replace the expiring SAFETEA-LU legislation. While the draft of the bill marks notable progress towards reforming our nation’s crumbling transportation system, significant gaps remain that could prevent the creation of a smart, safe and clean transportation system that provides real, affordable options for all Americans.
“Chairman Oberstar and his committee members have done us all a great service in launching the discussion of updating our nation’s transportation program for the 21st century,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “This year’s bill represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to set America on a new course and it is essential that we get it right.”
While Transportation for America (T4 America) continues to analyze the 775-page bill, some observations have become clear. Although the bill contains many initiatives worthy of praise, a number of unanswered questions and several areas of concern remain.
The bill would increase the investment in public transit from current levels, while making enormous strides to restore our existing highways, bridges and transit facilities to good condition. Additionally, the T4 America coalition applauds the requirement for similar levels of local matching funds for highways, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects. Also promising is the increased funding and latitude given to metropolitan areas, as well as a requirement that metros link housing, climate, energy and other national priorities to their transportation plans. Moves to upgrade attention given to rural areas and to create an office of livability also deserve praise, though it is unclear they will have the authority and the funding control to be truly effective.
Although the individual programs are assigned certain goals, Corless noted, the overall bill is not designed to be able to answer “yes” to critical, big-picture questions such as these: Would we be less vulnerable to oil shocks and climate change? Would more Americans have low-cost, convenient travel and living options? Will more Americans have easier access to jobs? Will older Americans have more options for aging in place? Will fewer Americans die or be injured, whether while driving, walking, bicycling or taking transit?
“Having individual programs that work better is certainly a step in the right direction,” he said, “but it is absolutely critical to be sure those programs work together towards achieving a set of national objectives.”
On the environment and energy fronts, “this bill helps federal, state and regional agencies map the way to reduced oil dependence and lower global warming pollution,” said Deron Lovaas, NRDC’s federal transportation policy director. “As the legislation moves forward, we need to put strong standards and incentives in place to ensure that these investments actually deliver energy security and fight climate change.”
“While some provisions in the bill would encourage and enable state and local transportation agencies to provide better options for low-income populations and aging Americans, those could be substantially improved,” said Judith Bell, president of PolicyLink. “Transportation can be either a bridge to opportunity or a barrier for low-income communities and people of color,” Bell said. “The House bill as drafted has some positive provisions, but needs to go further to promote equity and ensure affordable access to transportation for all Americans.”
Likewise, public health concerns should be more expressly addressed, said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “The draft bill places a strong emphasis on livable communities that are safe, walkable, bikeable and breathable,” Dr. Benjamin noted. “The next step is to ensure that these important concepts are supported by full legislative details and adequate resources to achieve these goals.”
Authorization of a new transportation bill occurs only once every six years and this bill has the potential to redefine how the American people get around for generations, just as the highway system envisioned by President Eisenhower more than 60 years ago still defines us today. This bill represents a step towards helping the nation meet the growing demand for streets that are safe and inviting for people on foot and bicycle, fast light rail, buses that serve every neighborhood not just some, and roads maintained and in good repair.
“Our nation’s transportation program has not been significantly upgraded since the 1950’s,” said Shelley Poticha, co-chair of T4 America and executive director of Reconnecting America. “Now is the time for our lawmakers to upgrade and transform our infrastructure. If we want to be competitive in today’s economy this bill must offer Americans innovative solutions that give people options and connect our cities, regions, and rural areas. Americans will likely not get that unless we improve this bill now.”
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ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA
Transportation for America is a broad coalition of housing, environmental, equal opportunity, public health, transportation and other organizations focused on creating a 21st century national transportation program. The coalition’s goal is to build a modernized infrastructure and healthy communities where people can live, work and play by aligning national, state and local transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development. www.t4america.org
Today’s Headlines: Transportation bill release edition
June 23, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
- Elana Schor posted one of the earliest analyses of Oberstar’s transportation bill at Streetsblog DC, pointing out three words that appear quite often in the bill. T4 America gets a mention. (Streetsblog Capitol Hill)
- Along those lines, Jonathan Maus examines bike provisions and looks at another phrase of interest that pops up in the transportation bill: “Intended Users.” (Bike Portland)
- Keeping it on the left coast, Jeff Mapes gives a quick summary of where things stand. (The Oregonian)
- A terrific new study from the Center for Clean Air Policy shows that smarter land use, oft-overlooked by environmentalists, is one place where we can get solid, cost-effective emissions reductions — from the transportation sector. (Kaid Benfield at NRDC)
- The Infrastructurist muses on one obvious — yet politically difficult — solution to our transportation funding crisis: raise the gas tax. (The Infrastructurist)
Tell Congress: No new transportation money without reform
June 22, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
| We can’t afford to keep throwing money at transportation agencies unable to show progress on the issues that matter to us all: Affordable ways to get around; alternatives to congestion; reducing our oil dependency; protecting the climate; safe and vibrant communities and access to jobs. |
| Tell your representative to make a stand: no more money without real reform! |
Capitol Hill is buzzing with the news. As you may have heard, Chairman James Oberstar and his House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released the full 775-page transportation bill earlier this afternoon. Rep. Oberstar is poised to get his six-year bill moving this week, and the Obama administration is pushing Congress to pass a (shorter) funding plan quickly. Why the rush?
Because transportation funding is running out.
But we can’t afford to keep throwing money at transportation agencies unable to show progress on the issues that matter to us all: Affordable ways to get around; alternatives to congestion; reducing our oil dependency; protecting the climate; safe and vibrant communities and access to jobs.
Help us tell Congress: No new money for transportation without a real, sustainable plan.
As you may have read here or elsewhere, The National Highway Trust Fund — which pays for road work, bike and pedestrian facilities and transit projects — will run out of money in August.
With funds drying up, the pressure to throw more money at our problems is growing. Some in Congress are poised to take money from other needs to prop up the trust fund, which comes from gas taxes. They would prefer to go on spending our tax dollars without a real plan. But more money with no strings attached is not the answer.
The U.S. hasn’t had a vision for transportation policy in decades. We’ve been trying to build our way out of a congested and inefficient system with no accountability and no actual plan to link our roads, trains, buses, bikeways and pedestrian-friendly streets.
The result? Longer, more frustrating, less safe and increasingly expensive commutes for all of us.
But now we have an opportunity for change. We must ensure that our country’s transportation investments strengthen our economy, our environment and our health. Don’t let Congress make the same mistakes it’s made in the past. We must fund transportation, but we must do it right this time.
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- House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
February 3, 2012 - Massive letter opposing House leadership attack on transit sent to Capitol Hill
February 3, 2012 - House leadership making unprecedented assault on public transit
February 2, 2012 - House Ways and Means proposal to end guaranteed funding for public transportation undoes bipartisan agreement since Reagan
February 2, 2012 - Pedestrian deaths, blaming the victim: headphones edition
January 19, 2012
- House committee ignores broad opposition, decimates transit funding anyway
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