Shut-down Crisis Reveals Desperate Need for Longterm Overhaul of our Nation’s Transportation Program
March 1, 2010By Transportation for America
With jobs, the economy our quality of life in the balance, Congress must act now on authorization.
As the national transportation program faces fiscal uncertainty today following Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-KY) refusal to extend legislation to fund transportation and other national programs on Friday, James Corless, campaign director of Transportation for America, released the following statement:
“The problem is not simply that one Senator was able to thwart a crucial, timely vote. That lone Senator was able to shut down our nation’s transportation program only because Congress has left this essential underpinning of our economy on life-support for far too long. The highway trust fund we created to build the interstates in the 1950s simply is not up to the job of building and maintaining the system we need for the 21st century. This is not a backburner issue, even if Congress has been treating it as one.
“While we lurch, from extension to extension, with our transportation program teetering on the brink of insolvency, the rest of the world is not standing still. China is building a $500 billion rail network. Canada, whose hockey team just beat us for the gold medal, is beating us in building efficient urban transportation networks, even as our public transportation systems are being forced to slash service in the face of Congressional inaction.
“American jobs – millions of them — are relying on the authorization of our transportation program. Americans everywhere depend on an efficient, safe and accessible network of roads and transit systems to get to work each day. If we are going to right this economy permanently, Congress must quickly address our nation’s outdated transportation program and ensure stable funding levels for public transportation, including operating assistance for struggling systems, for the repair and maintenance of our highways and bridges, and a robust investment in projects that will make our communities sustainable for the long haul.”
James Corless is the Campaign Director of Transportation for America.
TIGER Grants Offer Critical Support to Communities with Innovative Transportation Projects
February 17, 2010By Transportation for America
Merit-based program an excellent model for the next transportation authorization
The Obama Department of Transportation today broke historic ground in unveiling projects chosen in a first-ever program to award federal dollars on a competitive basis to innovative projects that address economic, environmental and travel issues at once.
The 51 projects announced under the TIGER grant program, funded by $1.5 billion included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), meet a broad array of challenges, including:
- Bridge replacements in Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Indiana that can support multiple modes of travel;
- Port and freight-rail projects to spur economic growth in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Ohio;
- Modern streetcar construction to support vibrant urban corridors in Tucson, Dallas, Portland and New Orleans and light rail in Detroit;
- Innovative highway funding and operations in Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, South Carolina and Arkansas;
- Bicycle and pedestrian networks in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and a complete streets project in Dubuque, IA;
- The long-awaited rebirth of New York’s former Penn Station as Moynihan Station.
“These are the kinds of projects that will create good paying jobs, spur local economic development, revive our city centers and create regional integrated transportation solutions,” said John Robert Smith, the co-chair of T4 America and former Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi. “Today’s announcement clearly shows the administration’s commitment to supporting livability initiatives in metropolitan regions, smaller communities and rural areas alike.”
A complete list of recipients can be found on the US DOT press release.
Project applications had to show multiple benefits, with priority give to these criteria: 1) that projects improve the condition of existing facilities and systems, 2) contribute to the economic competitiveness of the U.S. over the medium- to long-term, 3) improve the quality of living and working environments for people, 4) improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on foreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit the environment, and 5) improve public safety.
Secretary LaHood spoke from Kansas City, showcasing the city’s Green Impact Zone, an area of high unemployment and concentrated poverty that is being revitalized with green buildings, clean transportation options including public transportation and bicycle and pedestrian projects.
DOT Secretary Ray LaHood noted that the program was extraordinarily sought-after, garnering 1,400 applications totaling nearly $60 billion for the $1.5 billion pot. “The sheer popularity of this ground-breaking approach is testament to how many states and localities are struggling to build innovative projects that simply don’t happen under the pre-existing program,” Mayor Smith said.
“We hope this is a glimpse of what the next transportation authorization could look like,” Smith added. “Congress needs to build on this success and authorize the surface transportation program along similar lines to support innovation and integrated transportation solutions in communities of all sizes.”
T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010By Sean Barry
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| Photo: Dan Burden |
The Economic Policy Institute ran the numbers on Transportation for America’s jobs proposal and concluded that our plan for increased transportation spending would create 480,000 jobs.
The Senate’s first jobs bill currently has no money for transportation, other than a transfer of general fund dollars to cover the looming gap in the Highway Trust Fund while extending the transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) until the end of the year. (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is said to be planning several separate bills, one of which may focus on transportation).
Our proposed package for Congress directs $34.3 billion toward a mix of public transportation, highways and bicycle and pedestrian projects, closely resembling EPI’s own plan. Our proposal contains roughly $16 billion for transit, $8.1 billion for the Surface Transportation Program (highways), $9.8 billion for competitive grants (like the TIGER grants announced today) and $1.5 billion for Active Transportation such as bike and pedestrian facilities to make walking and biking safer and more attractive.
(View the full detailed T4 America proposal here.)
According to EPI’s analysis, the Transportation for America proposal is especially strong at job creation for low-wage earners and Americans without a college degree. The plan is also effective at creating jobs for African-Americans and Hispanic workers, two demographic groups that have borne a disproportionate share of the economic downturn’s effects.
Ethan Pollack, a policy analyst for EPI, characterizes T4 America’s approach as “a well-tailored package of transportation investments” that can “help put people back to work.” The EPI numbers do not account for the increased consumer spending that will result from these newly employed Americans.
As the U.S. Senate continues to piece together its job-creation legislation, we encourage members to strongly consider substantial investment in infrastructure repair and money to keep transit systems running. Jobs legislation continues to create an opening for increased accountability and benchmarks for federal transportation policy, laying the foundation for more jobs and greater prosperity down the road.
For information about EPI’s report and to obtain a complete copy, click here: http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/ib271/
TEN study: minority and women-owned businesses got small slice of stimulus
January 13, 2010By Sean Barry
Although unemployment turned out worse than some forecasters anticipated, there has been some consensus among economists that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed earlier this year prevented even higher job losses while channeling much-needed relief to states.
With a 1/3 of the money out the door already, the stimulus was able to work, in part, because the money was spent relatively quickly. But spending money quickly often relies on formulas and methods that are outdated, or — as evidenced in a report last month by the Transportation Equity Network (TEN) and Good Jobs First — inequitable. Minority-owned businesses have received only 10.2 percent of stimulus funds toward federal contracts, while women-owned businesses received 5.9 percent.
There were similar shortcomings at the state level. The head of the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has said he was “not aware of a single one of our members who’s received a contract related to the stimulus package.” In Colorado, the Denver Post reported that the state Department of Transportation failed to meet its minority hiring target of 7.5 percent.
These numbers have been noticed in Washington. The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing Democratic leaders to make sure the in-progress jobs bill provides real relief to many of their majority-minority districts, and President Obama has pressed governors to step up their efforts as well. If and when the Senate takes up job-creation legislation similar to the House version passed in December, it will provide an opening to learn from the stimulus and ensure everyone takes part in America’s economic recovery.
President Obama’s jobs speech and plan for infrastructure spending
December 8, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
President Obama delivered a speech just a few minutes ago at the Brookings Institution here in Washington, D.C., on his plan for creating jobs and putting America back to work. We’ll add some details later and a link to the full speech, but here is the excerpt on infrastructure spending:
Second, we’re proposing a boost in investment in the nation’s infrastructure beyond what was included in the Recovery Act, to continue modernizing our transportation and communications networks. These are needed public works that engage private sector companies, spurring hiring across the country. Already, more than 10,000 of these projects have been funded through the Recovery Act. And by design, Recovery Act work on roads, bridges, water systems, Superfund sites, broadband networks, and clean energy projects will all be ramping up in the months ahead. It was planned this way for two reasons: so the impact would be felt over a two year period; and, more importantly, because we wanted to do this right. The potential for abuse in a program of this magnitude, while operating at such a fast pace, was enormous. So I asked Vice President Biden and others to make sure – to the extent humanly possible – that the investments were sound, the projects worthy, and the execution efficient. What this means is that we’re going to see even more work – and workers – on Recovery projects in the next six months than we saw in the last six months.
Even so, there are many more worthy projects than there were dollars to fund them. I recognize that by their nature these projects often take time, and will therefore create jobs over time. But the need for jobs will also last beyond next year and the benefits of these investments will last years beyond that. So adding to this initiative to rebuild America’s infrastructure is the right thing to do.
The White House Press Secretary also circulated a document ahead of the speech with details on President Obama’s plan. It outlined three key areas for stimulating job growth; small business, infrastructure, and clean energy and efficiency. Here’s the second point in full detail:
Investing in America’s Roads, Bridges and Infrastructure
Additional investment in highways, transit, rail, aviation and water. The President is calling for new investments in a wide range of infrastructure, designed to get out the door as quickly as possible while continuing a sustained effort at creating jobs and improving America’s productivity.
Support for merit-based infrastructure investment that leverages federal dollars. The Administration supports financing infrastructure investments in new ways, allowing projects to be selected on merit and leveraging money with a combination of grants and loans as was done through the Recovery Act’s TIGER program.
Creating jobs through transportation investments — but what kind of investments?
December 3, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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| Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable.org |
With the signs pointing toward a jobless recovery — America’s economy rebounding slightly, but unemployment remaining high — pressure is mounting on President Obama and Congress to take measurable steps to put people back to work.
Amidst today’s White House jobs summit, congressional Democrats have been working on ideas for a potential jobs bill in the House and Senate to put Americans to work with targeted investments. One potential component of a jobs bill receiving significant attention is investment in transportation infrastructure — a part of the economic recovery act from the beginning of this year that has clearly had an impact on the economy and created jobs.
Supplemented by numbers from the American Public Transportation Association and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, Chairman James Oberstar and Rep. Peter DeFazio held a press conference and sent a letter to President Obama yesterday noting the thousands of transportation projects in states that can get underway quickly. Reports from AASHTO and APTA identify $48 billion in highway projects and $15 billion in transit projects that can be started quickly, creating jobs and investing in our transportation system.
With consensus beginning to form around including ample funding for ready-to-go transportation projects in any potential jobs bill, the debate has shifted. What projects will get funded, and what might the criteria be for choosing? Will the stimulus debate’s ubiquitous “shovel-ready” term once again be the only criteria? Could this bill, like the stimulus, allow states to bypass urgent repair needs in favor of new projects?
With almost every state facing an enormous backlog of desperately-needed repair projects, Transportation for America is pushing to make sure any spending boost is targeted at ready-to-go projects that can bring our transportation system into a state of good repair, rather than directing funds toward new projects we cannot afford to maintain. T4 America campaign director James Corless said in a statement yesterday:
We applaud the chairmen for pointing out that the rehabilitation of our over-taxed highway and transit systems is as imperative as it is effective at putting people to work on a timely basis. Among infrastructure-related investments, such ‘state-of-good-repair’ projects will create more jobs, faster than other investments. As we have argued since before the first stimulus, it makes perfect sense to restore our existing infrastructure as we prepare to lay the groundwork for a more transformational vision.
Creating jobs through a burst of transportation spending is a smart plan, but it should not detract from passing a full, six-year transportation bill that can get us on the path to a 21st Century transportation system. Corless went on to note:
However, we are deeply concerned that a two-year continuation will once again provide an excuse for some members of Congress to defer this country’s desperate need to create a new, long-term plan for investing in the infrastructure we need to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving, global economy. As we noted in a letter to Congressional leaders this week:
Any short-term jobs package for transportation should be limited to no more than one year, providing a strong boost to the American economy in 2010, while making sure this Congress finishes its work on a longer-term transformational transportation authorization bill that can bring our nation’s transportation policy and programs into the 21st Century.
Before Thanksgiving, we sent a letter to Congressional leaders with three principles that should guide transportation spending in any potential jobs bill. Any plan to create jobs through transportation spending should:
- Create the greatest number of jobs in the quickest time possible by prioritizing rehabilitation and operation of existing infrastructure and target new workforce development opportunities for people most in need of employment. (i.e., “Fix-it-first.”)
- Chart a new 21st century direction in transportation policy.
- Be limited to no more than a year and not replace the long term authorization of the transportation bill.
As Matt Lewis from the Center for Public Integrity noted from US PIRG on Twitter yesterday, “House leaders stressed ’state of good repair’ #transpo projects but said $ would flow thru existing formulas. Tough 2 do both?”
Transportation for America Urges Congress to Maintain Commitment to Long-Term Reform, Support “Fix-It-First”
December 2, 2009By Transportation for America
On the eve of the White House jobs summit, James L. Oberstar (D-MN), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit today sent President Obama a letter arguing for increased transportation funding.
The two called for funding “ready-to-go” projects on the order of $48 billion for highways and $15 billion for public transportation. In an effort to jump start transportation jobs, the two chairmen and Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey are also reported to be discussing a two-year continuation of the current transportation program, possibly financed by the general fund or other non-motor fuel source, to pay for these 9,500 projects.
In response to these developments, James Corless, director of Transportation for America, issued the following statement:
We applaud the chairmen for pointing out that the rehabilitation of our over-taxed highway and transit systems is as imperative as it is effective at putting people to work on a timely basis. Among infrastructure-related investments, such ‘state-of-good-repair’ projects will create more jobs, faster than other investments. As we have argued since before the first stimulus, it makes perfect sense to restore our existing infrastructure as we prepare to lay the groundwork for a more transformational vision.
However, we are deeply concerned that a two-year continuation will once again provide an excuse for some members of Congress to defer this country’s desperate need to create a new, long-term plan for investing in the infrastructure we need to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving, global economy. As we noted in a letter to Congressional leaders this week:
Any short-term jobs package for transportation should be limited to no more than one year, providing a strong boost to the American economy in 2010, while making sure this Congress finishes its work on a longer-term transformational transportation authorization bill that can bring our nation’s transportation policy and programs into the 21st Century.
With Congress mulling a potential “jobs bill,” in the coming weeks and months, Transportation for America also sent this letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Click to read it in full.
Letter to Speaker Pelosi with principles for transportation spending
December 2, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
In light of discussions in Congress about a potential bill focused specifically on creating jobs, and President Obama convening a jobs summit this week in Washington, Transportation for America recently sent this letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi that outlined 3 principles that should guide any potential infrastructure and transportation spending. If we’re going to fund infrastructure investments to put people back to work, it’s imperative that we get the most out of our precious dollars — and stay on track for passing the long-term transportation bill we so desperately need to get America moving again.
Any plan to create jobs through transportation spending should:
- Create the greatest number of jobs in the quickest time possible by prioritizing rehabilitation and operation of existing infrastructure and target new workforce development opportunities for people most in need of employment. (i.e., “Fix-it-first.”)
- Chart a new 21st century direction in transportation policy.
- Be limited to no more than a year and not replace the long term authorization of the transportation bill.
Click through the jump to read the full letter to the Speaker of the House from Transportation for America and several of our key partners.
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Breaking Down the Blueprint: Economic Competitiveness, Efficiency, and Opportunity, Pt. 2
June 17, 2009By Andrew Bielak
| 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. |
How can the proposals in our Blueprint help strengthen the economy and create jobs? As we noted in the last post in this series, making our economy more competitive, increasing workforce development opportunities, and improving the efficiency of our transportation system represents one of our six national objectives that must guide our national transportation program.
As a quick refresher: while many of our 10 performances targets line up with this objective, there are two that we believe are particularly important:
- Reduce delay per capita by 10 percent by 2030
- Lower congestion costs by reducing traffic crashes by 50 percent by 2030.
Meeting these goals won’t be easy — it requires us to rethink how we approach our transportation investments, to create an integrated system that balances investments in highways, public transportation, rail, and walking and biking, and to use state-of-the art technology to manage our existing transportation infrastructure.
To see what programs and policies in our Blueprint will help us reach this objectives, keep on reading below the fold.
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Breaking Down the Blueprint: Economic Competitiveness, Efficiency, and Opportunity
June 11, 2009By Andrew Bielak
| 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. |
When President Dwight Eisenhower laid the groundwork for the interstate highway system in 1956, he understood that an efficient, interconnected, well-functioning transportation system is absolutely essential to building a strong national economy.
A successful transportation system ensures that we arrive to work on time, moves goods quickly and efficiently, and employs millions of Americans in well-paying jobs. With our nation facing some of the greatest challenges in recent history, it’s particularly important that we make the right investments now to promote long-term economic growth for the future.
For this reason, one of our six national transportation objectives is to improve economic competitiveness, transportation system efficiency, and workforce development opportunities.
As we’ve discussed in this ongoing series breaking down the blueprint, our six objectives are tied to 10 performance targets — which should be met by 2030 — to help guide our program into the 21st century. While laying the groundwork for a more efficient and competitive economy through better infrastructure is a complex, multi-faceted goal intertwined with our whole transportation system, we believe that two of our performance targets are particularly relevant to this objective:
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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
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