56 million people in rural America looking for better transportation solutions
July 17, 2009By Lilly Shoup
A top priority in the transportation debate is addressing the mobility needs of the 56 million residents of rural areas and small towns in America – about 20 percent of the population of the United States. Rural areas and small towns often fall through the cracks of federal transportation policy, which focuses on statewide priorities for building new highways and often overlooks local needs and preferences.
Access to jobs, schools, shopping, and critical community services is just as vital for Americans living in small cities, towns and rural communities. Transportation for America has been working closely with our coalition partners on this important issue for some time. Now, it looks like Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is also getting on board.
Listening to folks at the La Crosse Interstate Fair in Wisconsin this week, he heard many of the same things that we already know:
- It’s getting harder financially to depend on a truck or car for all of a family’s transportation needs.
- Rural residents need public transportation just like city-dwellers do.
- Access to commercial air service is increasingly difficult for rural areas.
- Shippers of grain and other products need better freight options to get rurally produced goods to markets.
Clearly, the transportation system in rural areas and small towns faces challenges and demands that are unique from those in our metropolitan areas. Small cities and towns have higher concentrations of older Americans and families in poverty who would absolutely benefit from more affordable transportation options, beyond just driving. 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. Non-metro areas have a larger share of people over age 65 (15 percent) than the country as a whole (12 percent) particularly across the middle of the country. (According to 2004 numbers.)
These challenges are amplified by global changes in the economic marketplace, insufficient funding to maintain substandard or unpaved roads, improve public transportation services, and upgrade or replace substandard and deteriorating bridges.
Our nation’s transportation infrastructure should provide access for all Americans, regardless of their geographic location, age, income, or disability status. While there are no easy answers here, Secretary LaHood’s comments are a good starting point for reframing the debate towards policy options that benefit all Americans, regardless of geography.
AARP joins Transportation for America
March 25, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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| Photo courtesy of Dan Burden |
You might remember the headlines as the United States passed the 300 million mark in population just a few years ago. Sounds hard to believe, but we will reach the 400 million mark in population somewhere between 30 and 40 years from now. But did you know how much older America will be then? Nearly 1 in 5 Americans are expected to be over age 65 by the year 2030.
With our country becoming older, it is imperative that we think about transportation investments that will serve all Americans — not just the young or mobile.
Transportation for America is proud to announce that the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has joined the campaign as a partner, bringing their 40 million members into the fold, joining us to push for reforms to our federal transportation program. From their press release:
“AARP is delighted to join T4America, the Transportation for America Campaign, an impressive group of organizations, elected officials and businesses with the shared goal of building a modernized infrastructure to support livable communities where people can live, work and play. America is aging rapidly and transportation policy and spending must acknowledge this demographic shift. The upcoming transportation authorization can help the nation prepare both for its graying years and a greener future by making roads safer for drivers of all ages and also offering more user friendly options for pedestrians and transit users.
It’s worth noting that AARP is not all about retiring seniors. Around half of their 40 million members are still working.
Empty-nesters are growing in numbers, and more of them are seeking out places where they can live without driving constantly, while still having good access to culture and amenities.
And today, 1 in 5 Americans over age 65 either choose not to drive, or are unable to drive. 600,000 people over age 70 stop driving every year. 50 years ago, this perhaps wasn’t quite the barrier it is today because seniors lived in places where life as they know it did not have to end the moment they stopped driving.
With many retirees and seniors living in our auto-dependent suburbs of the last 50 years, how are they going to stay mobile and get where they need to go?
It is a big issue for AARP. They wrote a letter to Congressional leaders on behalf of their 40 million members last week asking Congress to draft a 2010 budget that can “promote livable communities” through smarter transportation spending, with a special call to support the Complete Streets legislation currently in the House and Senate.
It has become clear that our nation can no longer rely solely on gasoline taxes to fund both needed repairs to our aging highways and bridges while providing for expanded and more energy-efficient mobility options. Regardless of the approach Congress selects to fund future transportation spending, we urge that significant funds be targeted to expand our nation’s public transportation systems, expand paratransit programs and services for special needs and rural populations, and promote use of safety design features that can make our roads and intersections safer for drivers and pedestrians. We also urge the adoption of Complete Streets policies to make our streets safe and convenient for users of all ages and abilities regardless of mode of travel.
We welcome AARP to the coalition as we work together to create a 21st Century transportation system for all Americans.
Resources:
- Read their press release
- Read their letter to Congress (3.1 mb pdf)
- Tell Congress to support Complete Streets Legislation
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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
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