We’re facing an epidemic of childhood obesity, and this could very well be a generation of children who live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents. A healthier transportation system for America’s kids requires change in federal policy. But change will remain out of our grasp without a sense of urgency from everyday people on the ground. So where’s the meeting point between policymakers in Washington and citizens in their neighborhoods?

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.

Despite featuring organizations from a wide range of backgrounds, this month’s Social and Economic Equity Caucus yielded a great deal of agreement on policy. The event, sponsored jointly by Transportation for American and Policy Link, brought a mix of labor, faith-based, environmental, civil rights, health and other groups to Washington to address the need for [...]

Dozens of doctors and health professionals from around the country flooded the capital this week to educate Congress about the link between transportation policy and health. Co-hosted by the American Public Health Association, PolicyLink and others, the Transportation for America Health Summit incorporated both a policy briefing and individual meetings with lawmakers to highlight the connection between health and transportation. The briefing, titled “Get Moving! Mobilizing for a Healthier Transportation System” showcased four high level experts on health and transportation including a youth wellness advocate and Transportation for America Director James Corless.

A new report from Transportation for America and the Transportation Equity Network takes a closer look at the cuts that public transportation agencies across the country are facing and how they’ve have impacted the people in those communities. Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation is the first systematic analysis of the issue, and the story is not a pretty one.

Financial crisis and federal stimulus have slowed the push to privatize infrastructure. (New York Times) A new study looks how to address equity concerns in congestion pricing. (Environmental Defense Fund) Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm suggests that old car factories to be retooled to make trains, while the state cuts 137 transportation projects because of lack [...]

…Glennis was expected at work at 7:00. It was 6:25, and she had been waiting at the stop for 30 minutes when I showed up. Glennis told me that once she got off at Santa Monica Blvd, she would still have about one mile to walk to get to her job. Her chances of getting there on time were looking pretty slim at that moment, and I could see the worry mounting on her face.

Nearly 100 advocates and supporters signed up for our first webinar, a session on Transportation and Social Equity. Judith Bell, president of PolicyLink, led an informative discussion about ways in which transportation policies and programs affect low income, minority, and other often marginalized populations in America. Listen to the audio and download a policy brief.

Decades after school buses became a symbol for educational integration, high fuel costs and shrinking budgets are causing school districts to make cutbacks in bus service — and pushing children to attend school closer to home. (Wall Street Journal — Robert Tomsho)