States that take chances get rewarded, and six other things we learned this year at Capital Ideas 2018
We’re fresh back from Capital Ideas 2018 in Atlanta, and as in years past, this year’s conference was an incredible alchemy of passion, knowledge, inspiration, and amazing people from around the country. For those of you who weren’t able to make it to Atlanta, here are seven things that we learned.
Federal transit funding delays grab headlines across the country
Since we launched Stuck in the Station this summer—which catalogues the egregious (and wholly avoidable) delays in transit funding under this administration—dozens of media outlets across the country have covered the news.
Ten things to know about USDOT’s new framework to guide the future of automated vehicles
The USDOT’s newly released policy guidance for automated vehicles is consistent with Congress’ attempts to limit regulations and give private industry carte blanche to operate mostly in secret with little public oversight.
Small groups, big questions: 12 roundtable conversations at Capital Ideas 2018
Capital Ideas 2018 will be full of inspiration and best practices. But even with an agenda full of national experts, we know that we won’t possibly have all the answers to every community’s challenges.
Why don’t DOTs pick routes like we do?
Your GPS gives you the choice of two routes. One would take 15 minutes, but you’d travel at only 20 miles per hour. One would take 46 minutes, but you’d get to travel at 60 miles per hour. Which do you pick?
Mixed messages on transportation at the ballot box this week
With a range of notable ballot measures for transportation considered by voters Tuesday, how did the issue fare at the ballot box? Did the recent trends for transportation-related measures continue?
Crookston, MN: Where investment in public transit and hard-working Americans “help buses come alive”
Last week Transportation for America traveled to one of New Flyer of America’s transit bus manufacturing facilities in northern Minnesota to meet with state and local leaders like State Representative Deb Kiel, and get a close look at the economic impact of public transportation dollars on Minnesota manufacturing jobs.
Florida is out in front on driverless vehicles
The State of Florida knows that the way they’ve done transportation projects for the last 50 years won’t be the way to do them for the 50 years ahead. That’s why the Florida Department of Transportation, in partnership with the City of Gainesville, state legislators, and mobility company Transdev, are piloting one of the first autonomous vehicle shuttle projects in the country.
Cities eager to receive transit dollars from USDOT are receiving letters instead
Instead of approving projects and providing the money cities have applied for, USDOT is “allowing” cities to move ahead with construction on transit capital projects and incur costs that might one day be reimbursed by USDOT.
A bipartisan effort to help states and metro areas determine if their transportation systems get you there
Providing states and metro areas with powerful data and accessibility tools can help them better measure the destinations that their residents can easily reach, equipping transportation agencies to more effectively plan investments that will help address those gaps.
Cities left in the dark by an agency that once partnered with them to build new transit
Many local transit project sponsors are in the dark about the status of their applications for federal transit funds, left to wonder why the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has not granted funding to their projects. But these cities have remained publicly quiet about it for fear of harming their chances of eventually receiving funding, taking the pressure off the administration to fund and support transit projects.
How cities can reduce traffic instead of just ensuring more of it
A new approach to addressing the potential transportation impacts of new development in urban areas, outlined in a new report by our State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI), could be a powerful recipe for reducing the demand for driving, while helping create more prosperous transit- and pedestrian-friendly cities.
Lyft is paying people to ditch their cars. Will it work?
Lyft recently expanded its “ditch your car challenge” to 35 new cities, offering residents credits for transit and various shared mobility services in exchange for giving up their car for one month. Whether this will be good for cities, and what role they should play in it, remains an open question. This year, companies […]
With the 2018 fiscal year over, how much money has USDOT obligated to transit projects?
The 2018 fiscal year closed yesterday, wrapping up a year in which USDOT received more than $1.4 billion from Congress to invest in new transit construction and improvement projects across the country. With another infusion of cash coming (eventually) for FY 2019, it’s time for a look at how much USDOT still has on hand from 2018—as well as the unspent funds from FY 2017.
The hosts of Capital Ideas 2018 are working together for a more connected Atlanta region
Atlanta, GA isn’t just the location of Capital Ideas 2018 — the region itself is part of the agenda. This work takes partnership, and we are proud to have more than a dozen organizations working for a more connected Atlanta region serving as our Host Committee for this year’s conference.
T4America joins a parade of letters to USDOT urging them to do their job and get transit projects moving
In a parade of letters, T4America joined a chorus of elected representatives going on the record to urge the US Department of Transportation to do their job required by the law and award funds to expeditiously advance [transit] projects, communicate more clearly with local communities about the status of their transit projects, and recognize that a bipartisan majority in Congress has twice rejected their wishes to eliminate the transit capital construction program.
The newest intercity rail system in the country
Since it opened earlier this year, the Florida Brightline has been the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. Now, they’re planning to do it again in California. Join us at Capital Ideas 2018 to learn how.
“Deciding what kind of city we want to be” with the Smart Cities Collaborative
While fighting to stay ahead of a transportation and mobility landscape that changes by the day, 70+ people representing 23 cities gathered in Pittsburgh last week for the third meeting of our Smart Cities Collaborative to band together to solve problems and learn from each other.
Lessons learned from T4America’s Cultural Corridor Consortium
Yesterday, representatives from Dothan (AL), Indianapolis, and Los Angeles shared how local leaders, artists, city officials, and arts administrators in their communities are using the arts and creative practices to address pressing transportation challenges. Catch up with a recording of the full webinar here.
Learn how three cities are using arts and culture to address their transportation challenges
Hear from local leaders in three communities who are using the arts and creative practices to address pressing transportation challenges.
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