Three separate ballot measures for transportation in the Atlanta region cleared to proceed
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After the crushing defeat of a huge regional transportation ballot measure in 2012, Atlanta is poised to rebound this fall. After recent action by city and county leaders to place measures on the ballot, voters in the Atlanta region will be making at least three critical decisions this fall about sizable new investments in transportation.
Catch up on the launch of our guide to the FAST Act
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Last week, we launched our guide to the FAST Act, covering the shortcomings, omissions and opportunities in the federal transportation law that sets policy and funding for transportation until the year 2020. Download your copy of the guide below and if you missed the launch webinar, catch up with the presentation at the end of this post.
T4A Advisory Board Member testifies before Congress on the power of passenger rail as an economic catalyst
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The success of Uptown Normal’s (IL) multimodal station as a catalyst for redevelopment was center stage as Normal Mayor Chris Koos testified before the House Oversight Committee last week.
What would a better measure of congestion look like? Unpacking an alternative
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USDOT’s draft rule that will govern how states and metro areas will have to measure and address congestion would define “success” in incredibly outdated ways. In a webinar earlier this week, we discussed better ways to measure congestion and a proposal we’re sending to USDOT.
Crucial transportation and transit-related ballot measures coming up in 2016
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Throughout 2016, ballot measures and referenda that will raise new revenue for transportation at the local or state level will be decided during elections across the country. As in years past, we’ll be keeping a close eye on several of the most notable questions in the 2016 edition of Transportation Vote.
Illinois legislature passes new policy that will aid the financing of transit projects
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A new state policy in Illinois will make it easier to finance the construction and expansion of transit service across the state, making it easier for much-needed projects to go forward in the Chicago region.
New Jersey shuts down almost all transportation projects amidst fight over nearly bankrupt transportation fund
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shut down almost all ongoing state transportation projects this week after a legislative stalemate over rescuing the state’s bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund — a debate that hinged on pairing a gas tax increase with cuts to the state’s sales tax.
Introducing a new suite of resources to support transit-oriented development
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In December, Smart Growth America announced a new initiative to help communities across the country advance transit-oriented development (TOD) projects to grow their economies, achieve their social equity goals, and improve quality of life for everyone. As part of this initiative, yesterday SGA launched TODresources.org, an online hub for national information and ideas that will help users develop outstanding transit-oriented development projects.
Join us on 7/14 for the release of a helpful new guide to the FAST Act transportation law
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Next week, T4America will be releasing a new guidebook intended to help you understand the changes made in 2015’s five-year transportation law and provide you with the necessary information to best leverage the federal transportation program. Sign up for a kickoff webinar next Thursday afternoon and get your copy by email first.
USDOT’s congestion measure is not good — what would a better one look like?
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Thousands of you have sent letters to USDOT on their draft rule that will govern how states and metro areas will have to measure and address congestion — a proposal that currently defines “success” in outdated ways. It’s clear that USDOT’s proposed measure doesn’t cut it, but if you want to hear more about a better way to measure congestion, join us next week.
Columbus, OH takes center stage of national movement for transportation innovation – but cities nationwide are interested in connected streets
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Earlier today the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) named Columbus, Ohio, the winner of its highly competitive Smart City Challenge.
Nashville business leaders voice strong support for large-scale transit plan
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Nashville business leaders – including members of T4America’s Transportation Innovation Academy co-hosted last year with TransitCenter – have come out strongly in support of an ambitious, large-scale transit plan for the region.
Local leaders build momentum for transit investments in Wake County, NC
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Leaders in Wake County, NC – including participants of T4America’s Transportation Innovation Academy co-hosted last year with TransitCenter – are building support for transit ahead of a November ballot referendum.
Introducing Planning for a Healthier Future
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Planning for a Healthier Future, a new resource released by T4America, helps metro areas find ways to use performance measures to improve public health, address social equity concerns, and advance environmental quality.
How can we reinvigorate and refocus our country’s transportation program?
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For those of you in DC, join us on Capitol Hill today for a short briefing about our nation’s transportation policy, programs and governance structure; and how to wisely increase investment in transportation. T4America’s Beth Osborne will be testifying and discussing a recent paper that she authored for The Century Foundation’s Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative.
Virginia approves its first transportation plan based on a new system of scoring and prioritizing projects
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Today Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the first set of transportation projects selected and prioritized through the state’s new scoring process to objectively screen and score them based on their anticipated benefits. The newly renamed SMART Scale directs $1.7 billion to 163 projects across the state.
Join us for the release of Planning for a Healthier Future
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Thanks to 2012’s MAP-21 legislation, all metro areas and states will soon be using a limited array of performance measures. While the in-progress federal requirements will cover a limited range of measures, T4America is releasing a new resource to help advocates and especially metropolitan planning agencies utilize find ways to use performance measures to improve public health, address social equity concerns, and advance environmental quality.
California officially dumped the outdated “level of service” metric — your state should too
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California made a small but crucial change to how they measure the performance of their streets in 2013, shifting away from a narrow focus on moving as many cars as fast as possible and taking a more holistic view and measuring a street’s performance against a broader list of other important goals. So what is this outdated “level of service” measure and how can other states follow California’s lead?
Transportation for America & Conexión Américas named as finalists for ArtPlace America’s 2016 National Creative Placemaking Fund
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Today, ArtPlace America announced that Transportation For America and Conexión Américas’ proposal to creatively engage underserved communities in Nashville, Tennessee along a planned bus rapid transit corridor is one of just 80 projects being considered for ArtPlace America’s incredibly competitive 2016 National Creative Placemaking Fund.
National media applauds T4America and Sidewalk Labs partnership
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The announcement of our new partnership with Sidewalk Labs was met with approbation and excitement—take a look at some of the excerpts.