Author Archive
Join us for Smart Growth Social!
The Coalition for Smarter Growth’s Smart Growth Social is coming up on October 24, 2023! This year, we’re partnering with CSG to bring you a night of networking, community, and celebration of smart growth.
Now Hiring — Policy Associate
Transportation for America—a program of Smart Growth America—is seeking a skilled and motivated individual with knowledge and interest in transportation policy with a focus on how it impacts equitable access to jobs and opportunity. This position reports to the Policy Director of T4America.
VIDEO: Pedestrian fatalities continue to rise. Here’s why.
In a conversation with CBS Sunday Morning, T4A’s executive director Beth Osborne explains that our roads are dangerous by design.
Divided by Design: Quantifying the damage of our transportation program
Our new report examines the racist roots of our current transportation system. Most importantly, it demonstrates how today’s policies and practices were shaped by the past, leading to racial disparities today. Without a fundamental change to the overall approach to transportation, today’s leaders and transportation professionals, no matter their intent, will perpetuate and exacerbate the damage.
New survey: 82 percent of voters don’t believe highway expansions are the best solution for reducing congestion
New nationwide survey shows that prioritizing road repair, improving transit, and reducing driving are more popular options for spending transportation dollars WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 29) — A new nationwide survey of American voters’ attitudes reveals a significant divide between voters’ attitudes about the best short-and long-term solutions for reducing traffic, versus the actual priorities of […]
House threatens funds for reconnecting communities
The House’s debt ceiling package, H.R. 2811, proposes cuts to several programs, including the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program established under the Inflation Reduction Act. In response, T4A Director Beth Osborne issued the following statement.
Is the federal government squandering clean transit funds?
A new report shows splitting clean transit funds between zero-emission vs. low-emission is holding U.S. transit agencies back from cleaning up the bus fleet.
Steps taken toward first expansion of passenger rail in decades
Amtrak and SRC submit a planning grant that will expand long-distance passenger rail service along the I-20 Corridor and in the Deep South.
A Gulf Coast win opens the door for national long-distance passenger rail service
On Monday, CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Alabama State Port Authority, and Amtrak filed a motion to the Surface Transportation Board stating that they’d reached an agreement to restore passenger rail service on the Gulf Coast
A blueprint for Amtrak success from T4A Chair John Robert Smith
Amtrak has a workforce crisis on its hands. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought many of these problems to light, it did not create them. Mistakes by Amtrak’s leadership long before COVID-19 led to a slowly diminishing workforce and service impacts, which the pandemic exacerbated. Now, with a historic federal investment in passenger rail, how can Amtrak pivot and get back on the right track? The answer may lie in the company’s recent history.
Watch our webinar: How to Reconnect Communities
On Wednesday, September 14 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern join us to learn how to maximize the impact of the new Reconnecting Communities Program.
Four ways states and the Biden administration can curb transportation pollution
Last month, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) proposed a new rule that will require states to measure and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with highways. Here are four ways the administration and the states can lead the way in realizing its full potential.
The half-promise of the Carbon Reduction Program
The Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), a new formula program released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), provides states with $6.4 billion over 5 years for projects and strategies to reduce carbon emissions. However, thanks to a costly loophole, the program could end up making emissions worse.
New reconciliation package includes funds for safety, access
In response to the proposed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Transportation for America Director Beth Osborne released this statement.
Transportation for America applauds new emissions rule, “a vital first step”
In response to the USDOT’s newly proposed rule for states and municipalities to track and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Transportation for America Director Beth Osborne offered this statement.
We need a new approach to transportation: T4A’s efforts to get there
Six months into 2022, a lot’s been accomplished on the implementation of the 2021 infrastructure law, but there’s still a long way to go.
Transit adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic
Transit agencies across the United States have struggled with decreased ridership, safety hazards, and low morale as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet some have responded by changing their approach to better serve everyday riders, make transit free or more affordable, and rethink what the future of transit should look like to reduce emissions and provide access for those who need it most.
FHWA Complete Streets report lays out an actionable path for transforming street design to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries
After the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and USDOT issued a report to Congress this week about Complete Streets, Beth Osborne, Vice President of Transportation at Smart Growth America—the home of the National Complete Streets Coalition—issued this statement.
Reducing emissions with better transit, part three: Examples from leading cities
reater transit use is key for lowering emissions, and cities across America are reconsidering how they serve their residents with public transit—and the land uses that encourage better service and ridership. Several cities are laying the groundwork to make this happen—even outside of the “transit hotspots” one may expect.
USDOT road safety strategy finally acknowledges the importance of design on speeds and roadway deaths
On the release of the new Roadway Safety Strategy by the U.S. Department of Transportation, T4America director Beth Osborne issued this statement
Our three principles
It’s past time to elevate the national conversation about infrastructure beyond just the price tag.
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