All posts from the month of May 2010
“I don’t know what this talk around DC is about livability not having anything to do with rural areas…”
May 28, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
Earlier this week, we hosted 15 of our partners from rural areas across America for a two day “fly-in” focusing on the transportation needs of rural areas and small towns. We hosted a briefing at the Capitol in the morning and then these partners from all over the country, from Virginia to California, took the message up to their leaders in Congress through dozens of meetings with legislative staff or Senators and Representatives themselves.
Kathy Moxon, the director of Redwood Coast Rural Action in (extreme) northern California, a participant and speaker at the briefing, took a few moments in between meetings at the Capitol to talk to T4 America about this idea of “livability” in rural areas that some in Congress have been questioning.
We wanted to know more about the view from rural northern California — is livability a rural value?
We’d like to thank Kathy for coming to D.C and participating in the fly-in and giving us a few minutes of her time.
Today’s Headlines – 5/28/10
May 28, 2010By Transportation for America
Secretary Ray LaHood said the Obama administration has not taken a position on the recently introduced $2 billion transit aid bill. (Transportation Nation)
Illinois will regain $119 million federal highway funds under a deal with the House transportation committee chair. (Chicago Business)
Deficit politics may hinder movement on a transportation bill reauthorization. (Hill)
Fares are going up after a divided board meeting of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. (Inquirer)
And, the Washington DC Metro also approved another round of hikes, with a peak boarding fare now at $1.95. (WP)
American Power Act fuels the transportation options people say they want
May 27, 2010By Sean Barry
Our nation’s petroleum reliance comes with definite risk, a point that is on our minds and atop headlines as oil keeps gushing off the Gulf Coast. Often forgotten, however, is the degree to which transportation drives that dependence – 70 percent of the oil we use is consumed for motoring around.
The American Power Act, sponsored by Senators Kerry and Lieberman, acknowledges transportation’s role in oil consumption and climate change and proposes serious solutions. The legislation embraces the principle that revenues generated from transportation should go toward projects that reduce oil usage, decrease emissions and recognize the unique role transportation plays in both. It’s a basic principle: We ought to get what we’re paying for.
Critics of the Kerry-Lieberman bill suggest these revenues would somehow detract from core transportation needs. Make no mistake: We need urgently to pass a surface transportation reauthorization, preferably this year. But this climate bill is hardly standing in the way. The truth is that Kerry-Lieberman is the first new source of revenue for transportation in many, many years and more than has ever been allocated in one bill. Clean transportation can mean anything from light rail to increased options for walking and biking to more fuel efficient cars.
Transportation for America has worked closely on the transportation provisions in Kerry-Lieberman with a broad range of stakeholders, from environmental organizations to transportation and business interests. Unfortunately, the transportation old guard that benefits from the status quo are going all out to reverse this progress. They’ve asked Congress to rewrite the transportation section entirely without any accountability for reducing emissions or oil dependency, relying once again on the status quo that left us with excessive emissions and a transportation system that consumes 70% of the oil we use.
Why would a bill aimed at clean energy and lower emissions go all in for more of the same?
The focus on clean transportation options is also an economic boost for local communities and households. The Center for Neighborhood Technology found something very telling: In communities where people are able to walk places and have good access to public transit, the typical household spends just 9 percent of monthly incomes on transportation. In contrast, those living in the most car-dependent areas spent more than 25 percent. Investment in public transportation is a job creator, yielding about 16 percent more jobs than highway construction.
It is also worth remembering that Kerry-Lieberman delivers what Americans say they want. In every survey commissioned by the National Association of Realtors, more than half of respondents said they wanted to live in a neighborhood where they can walk and access public transportation, yet few places meet their expectations. A recent poll found 82 percent of Americans believe the U.S. would benefit from an expanded and improved public transportation system, and 75 percent agreed that these increased transit options will “help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” Among rural residents, 79 percent believed there would be a benefit to more transportation options.
Of course we must maintain a focus on getting a new surface transportation bill done, but let’s not pass up the chance to put a dent in our oil dependence with the forward-looking transportation program in Kerry and Lieberman’s bill.
To read more about the opponents of the Kerry-Lieberman bill and where their arguments fall short, check out Ya-Ting Liu’s rundown at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign blog.
T4 America’s rural and small town partners take their transportation message to Capitol Hill
May 27, 2010By Sean Barry
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| Arkansas Square Originally uploaded by whiteknuckled |
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.
Though the specifics may take a different form compared to big coastal cities, the values these participants described in a morning briefing and then in dozens of meetings with members of Congress didn’t sound all that different from residents of anywhere else in America, small or large.
Americans from big urban areas all the way down to rural communities and small towns want good access to job opportunities. We want roads that aren’t cracked and crumbling and bridges that don’t fall down. We want our town or city centers to be vital places to live, work and shop. We want safe places to walk and bicycle. We want options other than long car trips for absolutely everything. Call it “livability,” or call it something else.
The dozen-plus participants who came to Washington, D.C. from small communities in Virginia to Arkansas to Northern California and places in between expressed their hope that a new federal transportation bill can help address these needs in rural communities across America.
The “fly-in” kicked off with a Hill briefing, followed by dozens of meetings on Capitol Hill with the participants and their Senators and Representatives about how transportation policy impacts smaller communities.
Participants came from all corners of America and hit many of the same notes when discussing the challenges facing their friends and neighbors. Billy Altom hails from North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he serves as executive director of the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL). Terry Suphahn runs his own consulting firm in rural Northern California, working closely with Native Americans. Barbara Bayes splits time between urban Charleston and her farm, helping low-income West Virginians with access to transportation. Carol Miller heads an organization focused on heavily rural frontier communities — her own New Mexico county is so sparse, she must travel to the neighboring county just to vote and use the post office.
All participants talked about helping their neighbors back home access the basics — groceries, health services and jobs. They also talked of spurring economic opportunity so people can find a job in the same place they grew up. Many felt their towns, tribes or counties were ready to move on innovative projects that improve access and quality of life, if only federal policy would give them a little nudge. Far from asking Washington to tell them what to do, they were asking for resources to make change for themselves possible.
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| Kathy Moxon (left) and Terry Supahan from Northern California Originally uploaded by Transportation for America |
| Kathy Moxon and Terry Supahan from Northern California posed behind the Capitol for a picture after a day of meetings with members of Congress. Kathy shared a powerful story of a rural community in Northern California that took matters into its own hands. The town transformed a wide highway through the middle of the community into a more suitable main street to help preserve the area as an enjoyable place to walk and live. |
Carol Miller of New Mexico, a panelist during the morning briefing, put it well: “We believe good ideas come from the community, that there’s creativity there, but there hasn’t been a channel to bring those ideas up through the system.”
Washington needs to “make doing the right thing easy,” added Kathy Moxon, another panelist.
Billy Altom, the rural independent living director from Arkansas, rounded out the panel by discussing the transportation challenges facing older Americans and people with disabilities. He called on audience members to no longer see those with unique transportation needs – whether due to reliance on a wheelchair, inability to afford a car or age-related limitations– as an “us versus them” situation. Getting transportation right is not just about changing public policy, Altom said, but “changing public perception.”
John Robert Smith, the former mayor of Meridian, Mississippi and co-chair of the Transportation for America campaign, served as moderator for the panel.
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| Rural fly-in briefing panel 2 Originally uploaded by Transportation for America |
| Billy Altom, left, Carol Miller, John Robert Smith, and Kathy Moxon all spoke at the briefing at the Capitol Visitors’ Center. |
Participants visited the offices of Senators Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Barbara Boxer of California, Max Baucus of Montana, Robert Byrd of West Virgnia and Mark Warner of Virginia, to name a few. Congressman Mike Thompson of California and Senator Jim Webb, along with a handful of others met personally with their constituents to hear their concerns.
Although connecting constituents with their representatives is critical, what happens next matters too – making sure Congress follows-through on a transportation bill that helps Americans from smaller communities get where they need to go and connect to a better life.
Today’s Headlines – 5/27/10
May 27, 2010By Transportation for America
Senator Dick Durbin, whose state includes the cash-strapped Chicago Transit Authority, is co-sponsoring emergency transportation funding. (Chicagoist)
A key House Republican predicted a new transportation bill in January 2011. (Jacksonville Business Journal)
After scrapping a new streetcar program, the DC City Council may retain funding after all. (WP)
Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Democratic challenger fired back at the incumbent, accusing him of mismanaging the state’s transit dollars. (AP)
And, Secretary Ray LaHood discussed the future of transportation, including greater access for pedestrians and bicyclists. (NPR)
Today’s Headlines – 5/26/10
May 26, 2010By Transportation for America
A new bill would provide $2 billion in emergency funding for transit. (WSJ)
The Senators from New Jersey, which has seen sharp transportation cutbacks, have co-sponsored the new legislation. (Jersey City Independent)
Senator George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican, is urging local transportation officials to lobby for a gas tax hike. (Business Courier)
Efforts to increase bicycle commuting got a boost from the Obama administration. (Bike League)
And, Dallas transit officials are anticipating further layoffs and service cuts. (Morning News)
Emergency transit funding bill introduced, tell your Senators to support it
May 25, 2010By Stephen Lee Davis
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| Crowded Train Originally uploaded by Oran Viriyincy |
| Sound Transit in Seattle is one of hundreds of public transport agencies facing fare increases, service cuts or layoffs in 2010, according to the T4 America interactive map of the crisis. |
A new bill that would provide $2 billion in emergency funding for public transportation agencies was introduced in the Senate today. (View official T4 statement here.)
For the last year or more, T4 America has been rallying support from our tens of thousands of individual supporters and 450+ partners from across the country to call on Congress to step in during this nationwide transit funding crisis brought on by this recession, threatening millions of riders and hundreds of agencies.
Today, led by a group of 7 Senators, Congress has taken a step forward. If you’re one of the thousands who called or emailed your representatives with this message, your efforts have paid off with this good news for public transportation, but the work is not finished yet.
The bill still needs lots of support to make it through the Senate in the coming weeks. Tell your senators: support emergency funding for transit systems!
The new bill — the Public Transportation Preservation Act of 2010 — was introduced today in the Senate by Senators Dodd (CT), Brown (OH), Durbin (IL), Gillibrand (NY) Lautenberg (NJ), Menendez (NJ), Reed (RI) and Schumer (NY). (Updated: The bill number is S. 3412.)
Specifically, it will:
…authorize $2 billion for transit agencies nationwide to help close funding gaps in operating costs. Transit agencies can use these funds to reduce fare increases and restore services that were cut after January 2009 or to prevent future service cuts or fare increases through September 2011. Agencies that have not increased rates or cut services and do not plan to do so may use the funds for infrastructure improvements.
It couldn’t come at a better time. Last year, Americans took more than 10.7 billion trips on transit, the highest level in over 50 years. Public transportation use has increased at nearly triple the growth rate of the US population.
If you’ve seen our interactive map of the Transit Funding Crisis, you know the situation: At the same time that public transit agencies are working so hard to serve growing ridership, they face shortfalls in state and local revenues. Transit agencies nationwide are being forced to cut service, raise fares, and lay off workers. Jobs and services are being eliminated for those in greatest need.
This bill will go a long way toward relieving the pain, but it’s up to us to make sure it gets passed. We can’t stand by while transit systems crash and burn.
Transportation for America Urges Congress to Support the Public Transportation Preservation Act
May 25, 2010By Transportation for America
Emergency Operating Aid Would Restore Major Service Reductions, Hold Down Fares and Preserve Jobs
Transportation for America today hailed the introduction of emergency legislation to prevent disastrous service cuts and fare hikes that are threatening public transportation riders across America.
The Public Transportation Preservation Act would provide $2 billion in emergency assistance for operating expenses necessary to restore a major reduction in transit service and to hold off future fare increases due to decreased state or local funding that occurred on or after January 1, 2009. Funding would be distributed through existing formulas. The Act will help transit agencies avoid or minimize future service reduction and fare increases that are being contemplated through the end of FY 2011.
Director of Transportation for America, James Corless, released the following statement supporting the act:
“With demand for public transportation service at its highest level in over 50 years, Congress must act to protect Americans who rely on transit from service cuts and fare hikes that threaten their ability to reach jobs and daily necessities. This act will help to preserve an economically essential service with a one-time, emergency infusion that will help to save jobs and access to jobs.
“Senators Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Sherrod Brown of Ohio are to be commended for coming to the rescue of public transportation riders across the nation. The dire situation facing transit systems across the country – as they are forced to lay off workers, raise fares and cut service – highlights the critical need for Congress to pass the transportation authorization bill this year that would address America’s need for greater transportation options.”
UPDATED: Tell your Senator to support or sponsor this bill.
American Public Health Association outlines hidden health costs of transportation
May 24, 2010By Sean Barry
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama earlier this year was a step toward expanding health coverage while lowering costs. But there’s far more to be done. A truly comprehensive approach to health must account for transportation’s role in our levels of physical activity.
The American Public Health Association tackles that in a new report titled “The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation.”
For decades, Americans have made great use of the interstate highway system, but our transportation system is outdated and in need of retooling. The promise of convenient inter- and intra-city driving came with unseen drawbacks: long commutes and gridlock that keep Americans stuck in their cars and away from their families.
It doesn’t take a doctor to figure out sitting at work for eight hours a day and driving for another 1-2 can’t be all that good for you. Where we live and how we get there matters. The APHA put it well: “transportation investments and the systems that are developed from them shape lives and communities.”
It’s not just a lack of physical activity that ails us. Our current habits expose us to high asthma rates from pollution and unsafe streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, as outlined in our Dangerous by Design report last year.
So what needs to change? One place to start is by expanding transportation options. Driving will always be a necessity, but Americans have shown their desire for public transportation with their votes and feet. Pollsters found that 82 percent of American voters believe the U.S. would benefit from an improved and expanded public transportation system, and 79 percent of rural residents shared that sentiment as well. Build it and they actually will come, it turns out. The APHA writes:
An investment in a “healthier” transportation system is critical. Providing convenient alternatives, encouraging active modes of transport, and a establishing a transportation system that fosters connectivity and social interaction can not only offset health impacts and costs, but generate health benefits.
In addition to increasing access to other transportation options, the APHA also stresses that health impacts should be considered during the planning and decision-making stages of transportation projects to the fullest extent possible.
Growing recognition of the connection between transportation, land development and health has resulted in some studies and examples where health impacts and costs have been considered and assessed. These examples not only demonstrate that health costs should be a significant factor in decision-making, but also show that calculating such costs is indeed possible.
The APHA has laid out the reasons why our long-term health is distinctly linked to how we get around, and the passage of health care reform should serve an impetus to take the right next steps. Will Congress heed APHA’s counsel as the next surface transportation bill advances?
Today’s Headlines – 5/24/10
May 24, 2010By Transportation for America
Secretary LaHood is heading to North Dakota for a transportation round table with Senator Kent Conrad. (Jamestown Sun)
Dallas is overhauling its 25-year-old Bike Plan, with the likely addition of new lanes and traffic circles. (Morning News)
Elsewhere in Texas, Republican Governor Rick Perry is pinning Houston’s transit woes on its former mayor – and Perry’s Democratic opponent – Bill White. (Statesman)
The transit district in Oregon’s Salem and Keixer may raise fares as much as 20 percent. (Statesman-Journal)
Jesse Jackson took his pro-public transit campaign to Cleveland, where he was met with 250 supporters. (Plain Dealer)
And, Los Angeles, “the anti-city” is profiled in the Atlantic’s “Future of the City” series. (Atlantic)
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- Livability in small towns #6: Breckinridge, Colorado
September 2, 2010 - Livability in small towns #5: Davidson, North Carolina
September 1, 2010 - Livability in small towns #4: Laconia, New Hampshire
August 31, 2010 - Livability in small towns #3: Cache Valley, Utah
August 30, 2010 - Livability in small towns #2: Menominee Indian Reservation, Wisconsin
August 27, 2010
- Livability in small towns #6: Breckinridge, Colorado
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