Author Archive
Here’s how senators can turn their support for transit into real policy
At a Congressional hearing earlier this week, senators on both sides of the aisle expressed support for funding public transportation. As they begin to prepare legislation, we have six ideas on how to guarantee that transit is a priority.
We’re going to need a second Infrastructure Forum
This past Sunday, four presidential candidates gathered in Las Vegas to talk about infrastructure. It was a rare opportunity to ask the politicians vying for our nation’s top office critical questions—and the moderators completely blew it.
Transportation is changing, but curbs are not: Lessons from the first Smart Cities Collaborative 2020 meeting
The third year of the Smart Cities Collaborative is off to a strong start. Last week, Transportation for America brought together the three pilot cities in the Collaborative to work through devising and designing strong curbside management pilots.
Step 1: Electric vehicle chargers. Step 2: Real structural reform.
Last week, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Andy Levin (MI-9) released the “Electric Vehicle Freedom Act,” a bill that would aim to “establish a nationwide electric vehicle charging network within five years.” The creativity behind this bill is exactly what Congress needs—we just need to focus on more than EVs.
T4America selects 3 cities to launch curbside management pilots
Transportation for America (T4America) is thrilled to announce that it has awarded three cities with funding and support to complete curbside management pilot projects. The three cities are Bellevue, WA; Boston, MA; and Minneapolis, MN.
Here’s what happens when Jarrett Walker takes over your Twitter account
A week ago, we gave Jarrett Walker + Associates the keys to our Twitter account to explain what a transportation system oriented around improving people’s access to jobs and services (not increasing vehicle speed) actually looks like.
“Voluntary safety assessments” for automated vehicles will result in more deaths
The National Transportation Safety Board agrees with us on automated vehicle safety: making safety assessments “voluntary” utterly fails to ensure public safety—and at least one person has already died as a result. The federal government’s current hands-off approach is incredibly unsafe for everyone except the bottom line of companies rushing to put unready driverless cars on the road.
TransportationCamp DC is definitely happening! Join us on Saturday, January 11th
Transportation for America is taking over TransportationCamp DC 2020, bringing back this popular annual event. We’re excited to host over 500 movers and shakers committed to transforming transportation. Will you be there?
The best thing about the Smart Cities Collaborative is the peer-learning, says Oakland’s Warren Logan
Next January marks the third cohort for T4America’s Smart Cities Collaborative. This time around, a steering committee of former Collaborative members is helping us shape the program. Warren Logan, the Policy Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations at Oakland Mayor’s Office, talked with us about what makes the Smart Cities Collaborative so valuable to city officials.
Our seven favorite tweets from the #SafetyOverSpeed tweet chat
Last week we hosted a tweet chat to discuss the importance of prioritizing #SafetyOverSpeed, in tandem with our week of blogs discussing our second principle for transportation policy. Here are our seven favorite tweets from the chat.
Which street is the most dangerously-designed? You decide!
It’s time to vote! Throughout the week, readers sent us photos of streets that are designed for speeds far higher than the posted speed limit or where the speed limit is way too high for the context. Today (Friday, Nov. 8), you can vote for the worst offender on Twitter. It’s been #SafetyOverSpeed week here […]
Competition: Which street is the most dangerously-designed?
This week, we’ll be taking a deep dive on our second principle for transportation policy: design for safety over speed. Throughout the week, send photos of streets in your area that are designed for speeds far higher than the posted speed limit or where the speed limit is way too high for the context. On Friday (Nov. 8), you’ll have a chance to vote for the worst offender.
Washington State leads in transportation improvements—one ballot measure could end all that
This November, Washington residents will vote on a ballot measure that would slash available funding for transit agencies as well as road maintenance and safety projects by limiting annual vehicle registration fees to $30 and reducing vehicle taxes. As gas tax and other transportation revenue failed to grow the way it used to in the […]
The Senate’s first transportation reauthorization bill gets an F
Authorizing federal spending on surface transportation is complicated, with different Congressional committees writing separate portions of the bill. That’s why we’ll score every reauthorization bill by how well it achieves our three simple principles for transportation investment. The America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act fails on all counts.
In the San Francisco Chronicle: We need more than electric vehicles
A new opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle explains why electric vehicles and improved fuel efficiency aren’t enough to reduce emissions—and how our federal transportation program shoots any climate change effort in the foot. Today, a new op-ed from Transportation for America Director Beth Osborne makes the case that instead of putting all of our […]
Behold! The entirety of our #BeyondEVs Tweet Chat
It’s #CoveringClimateNow week, and over 220 media outlets have pledged to devote coverage to climate change. Unfortunately, there’s usually something missing in these important conversations: driving. Driving makes up most of transportation emissions (and the transportation sector emits more greenhouse gases than any other). And every year, vehicle miles traveled increases. If we don’t do […]
Driving less needs to be included in #CoveringClimateNow
We’re thrilled that over 220 media outlets have dedicated this week to #CoveringClimateNow. But when it comes to transportation, we’re worried that electric vehicles and improving fuel efficiency—two critical methods of reducing transportation emissions—will get more attention than the simple need to reduce driving overall. Transportation emissions are rising despite the gains we’re making in electric […]
We’re now accepting applications for the Smart Cities Collaborative
The Smart Cities Collaborative is back! We’re now accepting applications from cities to join our third cohort. We’ve learned a lot since we launched the Smart Cities Collaborative in 2017—notably, that in order to benefit from new mobility technologies, cities need to understand how to leverage a critical but often-ignored asset: the curb. Curbs are where transportation […]
The good, the bad, and the ugly in the Senate’s long-term transportation bill
Last month, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works passed a long-term transportation policy bill. Unfortunately, billions of new dollars for the existing system overshadow its notable new programs, like a climate title and Complete Streets requirements. The transportation authorization bill, known as America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA), includes a few new, notable, […]
If you want to be a “smart city,” ask these 3 questions first
New transportation technology is not inherently good. Cities that want to be “smart” need to make sure that technology helps achieve their goals. All the rage in the transportation world is “new mobility,” the idea of incorporating new technologies—like shared scooters and app-based ride-hailing—into urban transportation ecosystems. E-scooters and autonomous vehicles are undoubtedly cool. But […]
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It’s past time to elevate the national conversation about infrastructure beyond just the price tag.
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