Q&A From Public Health and Safety webinar (draft)

The following is a *DRAFT* of the questions asked during/after the April 30, 2009 webinar on transportation, public health and safety. Listen to the webinar and find more related materials on the webinar page. The Rails to Trails movement has been wonderful at providing safe non-motorized linear parks. Can there be an effort with T4 America to “close the gap” to link these resources (e.g., connector trails, bridges)? Transportation for America is calling for a transformative change in the way that federal transportation funding is allocated, in order to address gaps in the system such as the ones you ask about.. Federal funding has been largely separated by modes, and rail-trails have primarily been funded by the states under a single federal program (Transportation Enhancements) that often is not integrated with the larger, mainstream funding programs. T4 America is instead calling for projects to be funded not by project type, but based on their ability to meet performance targets that are critical to the progress of our country, which will require connections between modes to increase efficiency, connectivity, and accessibility. That will help ensure that transportation planners take a network approach as see the potential for making trails part of the overall transportation network instead of isolated facilities. T4 America recommends that all transportation projects be designed to meet the following National Performance Targets:

Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled by 16%
Triple walking, biking and public transportation usage
Reduce transportation-generated carbon dioxide levels by 40%
Reduce delay per capita by 10%
Increase proportion of freight transportation provide by railroad and intermodal services by 20%
Achieve zero percent population exposure to at-risk levels of air pollution in 20 years
Reduce traffic-related fatalities and morbidity by 50%
Increase share of major highways regional transit fleets and facilities, and bicycling/pedestrian infrastructure in good state of repair condition by 20%
Reduce average household combined housing + transportation costs by 25% (use 2000 as base year)
Increase by 50% the number of essential destinations (work and non-work) accessible within 30 minutes by public transportation for low-income, senior and disabled proportions

The Complete Streets initiative endorsed by T4A would help integrate trail networks, by making the roads that lead to them accessible via foot, bicycle, and transit as well as automobile. In too many communities, the roads feel so unsafe that people load their bicycles, kids, dogs, and strollers in their cars in order to drive to a trail so they can walk and bike back and forth. A Complete Streets network would allow more people to reach trails by foot and bike, and would make the trails more useful for transportation. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a partner of T4 America, and together with other organizations like the National Complete Streets Coalition, Active Living Research, the American Public Health Association, and AARP, we are working to build an active transportation network that connects to the larger system. What are your policy recommendations to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color have transportation to access healthy foods, medical care, and jobs? What are recommendations to ensure that these communities don’t bare the burden of negative health impacts associated with transportation policy, such as highways through their neighborhoods or a lack of sidewalks? We can start to make a change simply by stopping the current bias toward automobile oriented transportation investments. This locks low-income Americans into expensive car ownership, and fails to provide the lower-cost options of bicycling, walking and public transportation. T4 America is committed to increasing accessibility for all Americans and using the transportation authorization as a tool to achieve equality for disadvantaged populations. As described in our Platform, T4 America’s policy recommendations would:

Prioritize transportation investments that create strong affordable communities, for example, by:
1. Providing direct incentives and support for the creation of transit oriented development districts around corridor transit stations, with eligibility for preservation and creation of mixed-income housing.
2. Specifying mandates and incentives to ensure that state DOTs and MPOs develop comprehensive place-based plans that outline how transportation investments, land use planning and other federal supports for housing and economic development will be used to create healthy, opportunity rich communities and regions.
3. Require state DOTs and MPOs to set target goals for improving transportation access and service in low-income communities that are transit dependent.
Ensure environmental justice and healthy neighborhoods.
Increase access to multimodal transportation options for all.

For more information, please visit http://t4america.org/webinars to view a podcast of our webinar on equity and transportation, and http://t4america.org/policy-papers to read our policy brief on this subject. Speed is a factor in 30% of crashes. What are you promoting to reduce this risk? Communities that have successfully committed to building complete streets that serve all road users have all quickly learned that they must address speed: a safe and comfortable road network for non-motorized users demands speed management. Simply posting signs does not work; research shows that using transportation funding to invest in careful design, such as narrowing travel lanes, including traffic calming measures, and redesigning intersections can dramatically reduce speed and increase safety. Calling for performance measures that reduce crashes and fatalities will push jurisdictions toward these proven engineering solutions, as will adoption of a federal complete streets policy. Transportation for America is calling for changes to the transportation system infrastructure that would increase safety for all transportation users. This includes:

Creating “complete streets,” which are streets designed for the safe movement of all transportation users, and incorporating effective safety mechanisms for all modes of transportation.
Increasing trips made by foot, bike, public transportation, and inter-city rail and bus for all transportation users

Since our current system caters to travel by car, how would you address traffic safety challenges before changes in the built environment can be made? First, we have a critical situation in which thousands of people are walking, bicycling, and catching the bus along roadways with absolutely no safe accommodation for those modes. A transportation policy that prioritizes completing those streets can address that immediate need. Tremendous safety improvements can be made right now, without addressing land use, which I think is your underlying question. Secondly, complete streets that provide for all travelers are a prerequisite to more compact growth that makes it easier to travel by other modes. T4 America is advocating for much more coordination between transportation and land use, but in the meantime we can create a road system that is ready for changing development patterns. States can pass or enforce laws that reduce traffic fatalities, such as seat belt, teen driving, and motorcycle helmet laws. Stronger safety standards for automobiles can also be enforced, and the weight of trucks can be capped. What are some specific strategies or activities that state and local-level professionals can undertake to improve and promote transportation and land use policies? Visit http://t4america.org/who-we-are for a list of T4 America’s partners by state to learn who else is working to change federal transportation policy by mobilizing constituents in your state. Become a partner today by completing the partnership agreement at http://t4america.org/partnership to join our national movement and facilitate contact with others at your state and local level. Also, encourage leaders at your state and local levels, including elected officials, to become a partner of T4 America to boost our coalitions in your area. On the federal level, you can ask your members of Congress to co-sponsor and champion the National Complete Streets Act of 2009 (HR 1443, S584), as we work to get this measure included in the federal authorization. On the state and local level, you can support adoption of complete streets policies. Visit www.completestreets.org to learn about existing policies around the country and how you can get one adopted by your city council or state legislature. For a guide on what state and local professionals can do to improve and promote transportation and land use policies, refer to “From the Margins to the Mainstream: A Guide to Transportation Opportunities in Your Community” by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership at http://www.transact.org/.