USDOT’s new memo requires a review of competitive grant awards
A leaked policy memo from leadership at USDOT will add a new layer of extra-legal review of all awarded competitive grant projects without fully signed federal funding obligations, calling for bicycle infrastructure, green infrastructure, and EV chargers to be cut from projects. What’s in USDOT’s new memo? Drawing authority from the President’s inaugural slate of […]
What President Trump should tackle on transportation
If President Trump is interested in claiming the mantle of “infrastructure president,” here’s a list of specific actions the president can take to make significant improvements to the federal transportation program. As we’ve done for past presidents, we’ve put together a list of specific actions that President Trump should take on transportation in his final […]
New resource for state DOTs
The State Smart Transportation Initiative just released its new framework, Innovative DOT. This comprehensive framework offers specific recommendations designed to support state transportation officials in positioning their agencies for success in today’s evolving transportation landscape. Developed with input from top transportation professionals—including T4America— and state DOT staff from across the country, the State Smart Transportation […]
Lessons learned from the missed opportunities of the Biden Administration
With the Biden presidency in the rearview mirror, we can look back at where the administration succeeded and failed and what lessons we can take for the future. Joe Biden promised to tackle the climate crisis and address equity in transportation investments. Despite passing major legislation and hiring great spokespeople for reform, his administration did […]
Three takeaways from T4A’s webinar on Trump’s executive orders
Yesterday, our Director Beth Osborne led a webinar that provided a high-level overview of our Reauthorization 101 resource and analysis of Trump’s recent executive orders and memos. Here are the top three takeaways from the conversation with over 400 attendees. 1. Many are still confused as to what the administration is trying to accomplish During […]
Long Distance Rail Study fails to address the needs of passengers
The Long-Distance Rail Study, released by the Federal Railroad Administration in the twilight hours of the Biden Administration on January 20, 2025, prioritizes lengthy projects that have little chance to succeed instead of shorter-term projects that can deliver service to Americans. It is imperative that Amtrak focus on routes that run daily and not only […]
After spending over $1 trillion, the roads are still crumbling, unsafe, and congested. Does Congress care?
Congress is starting to talk about the next federal transportation bill, due next year. But they seem more concerned with how the money is distributed, to whom and how fast it is being spent rather than what the American people are getting for their tax dollars. With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) sunsetting […]
Webinar: Executive orders and reauthorization—Navigating the future of federal transportation funding
Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, February 25th at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the state of transportation funding, including recent executive orders and the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization. Register to join us! Federal transportation funding is at a crossroads, with executive orders and USDOT directives reshaping priorities and halting projects, not to mention […]
Los Angeles’s “No Car” Olympic Games are important beyond 2028
The opening of LAX/Metro Transit Center Station on the Los Angeles Metro is a major milestone in the city’s history and is vital for the 2028 Summer Olympics, but there are far more reasons to invest in alternative transportation options beyond major sporting events. The grand opening of a long awaited station This year, the […]
Unflooding the zone: What do the Trump administration’s latest actions signal for transportation?
Federal funding recipients across the country are dealing with uncertainty, delays, and outright cuts to obligated funding. Our updated analysis of disbursements at risk finds that over $20 billion for projects currently underway across the country might be eliminated, according to new memos introduced by Secretary Duffy’s DOT. But don’t feel overwhelmed. We’ve got the […]
Steven G. Bradbury, transit and Vision Zero opponent, named Deputy DOT Secretary nominee
Though transportation has often bridged party divides, just two weeks into President Trump’s second term there are numerous signs that this trend may shift. As General Counsel for USDOT during Trump’s first term and a current Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Steven Bradbury has made clear his dislike of public transportation, clean energy reform, […]
Transit Equity Day highlights the need for transit in rural communities
Transit Equity Day—which honors Civil Rights Leader Rosa Parks—is on February 4th. As we celebrate the importance of ensuring people of all backgrounds and abilities are able to use transportation, it is imperative to highlight communities that are often left out of the public transit conversation: rural communities. All communities and people deserve transit options […]
Confused about the chaos? Make Congress and the administration clarify the transportation funding freeze
The federal government owes communities upwards of $125.6 billion dollars in federal contract obligations from the infrastructure law but President Trump is threatening to renege on the government’s legally binding commitments. Here’s how much they owe for transportation.
Three opportunities to work with incoming USDOT Secretary Duffy
Last Wednesday (Jan. 15), former Congressman Sean Duffy faced questions from the Senate Commerce Committee, tasked to vet the next Transportation Secretary. Here are three things T4America gleaned from the hearing as opportunities for working with Secretary-designate Duffy. While it’s difficult with almost any eventual USDOT Secretary to try and anticipate precisely how they’ll choose […]
Art meets action: Revitalizing West Baltimore
In West Baltimore, our partners West North Avenue Development Authority (WNADA), Graham Projects, and Open Works hosted a community engagement pop-up to redesign West North Avenue. This event showcased emerging best practices in public engagement when executing infrastructure projects. These efforts demonstrate ways public agencies can prioritize community voices in their planning and design decisions. […]
Time’s up! What wins has Biden notched and what has he left incomplete on transportation?
In November 2020, we sent the incoming Biden administration a memo outlining immediate and longer-term actions we urged the new president to initiate. Four years later, while modest progress has been made on some, it’s hard to say that the transportation system or the most important outcomes by which we should evaluate it are significantly […]
Another milestone: Major funding announced for Gulf Coast passenger rail
Earlier this week, the Federal Railroad Administration announced a significant investment of $21,117,115 in Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) grant funding to Amtrak. This funding will support the restoration of intercity passenger rail service with two daily roundtrips along the Gulf Coast, connecting New Orleans, LA, to Mobile, AL. We want to share special thanks to […]
Helping communities at every stage
Transportation for America and Smart Growth America’s technical assistance services help communities at all different stages of their efforts to improve transportation in their communities. In a suite of projects funded by AARP this year in communities across the country, we helped partners work on policy, planning, advocacy education and relationship building. Transportation for America […]
Five for ’25: What to expect on transportation in the new year
January will bring in a new presidential administration and a new Congress for the run-up to the reauthorization of the country’s transportation law in 2026. Though uncertainty prevails as power and leadership shifts in Washington, there are a few things we’re expecting to see in 2025. Here are five.
Meeting the moment after the 2024 elections
We are heading towards a budgetary cliff on a transportation program that has failed to deliver on every one of its promises, from congestion and emissions reduction to improved safety and access to work. Strong leadership is needed to ensure our transportation system is able to meet the needs of average Americans.
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Learn more about our platformLatest From The Blog
USDOT’s new memo requires a review of competitive…
Mar 14th, 2025
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New resource for state DOTs
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Feb 26th, 2025
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