Save the date: Capital Ideas conference on state transportation funding & policy
With Congress finally wrapping up their five-year transportation bill in late 2015, the focus is fully on states when it comes to policy and funding for transportation. Our second Capital Ideas conference focused on state transportation funding and policy is coming to Sacramento, CA this November 16-17, so mark your calendars, save the date and sign up to be the first notified when registration opens.
Did you miss last week’s discussion on the 2016 TIGER grant program?
If you missed last week’s online discussion about this year’s $500 million TIGER grant program and the new $800 million FASTLANE freight grant program, catch up here with the full presentation and audio.
A look at progress around the country on improving state transportation policy & raising new funding
Scores of state legislatures are still in session or nearing the end of their sessions. With transportation funding and policy on the docket in scores of states, here’s a roundup of the progress being made in states working to create more transparency, build more public trust in transportation spending, and even raise new money.
Georgia’s legislature moved last night to enable Atlanta to fund new transit & local projects
After an up-and-down last few years when it comes to transportation funding, the Georgia state legislature successfully passed a pared-back bill last night that will allow voters in the City of Atlanta to decide whether or not to raise new funds for expanded transit service throughout the city, in addition to other transportation investments in the city.
Oregon DOT provides a wake up call for local leaders in other states
In a move that should raise alarm bells for local leaders in other states, last week the Oregon Department of Transportation decided where to spend nearly $200 million in new money from last year’s FAST Act on their road system with limited to zero public engagement.
Though not selected as finalists, other Smart Cities Challenge applicants still hopeful to make their plans a reality
Though 77 cities will leave USDOT’s Smart Cities competition empty-handed later this summer, T4America is looking to help many of those cities advance the great ideas still deserving of help.
Smart Growth America and Transportation for America welcome a new director of arts & culture
Smart Growth America — along with our signature transportation program Transportation for America — is pleased to announce today the hiring of Ben Stone as director of arts and culture, a new position designed to lead the organization’s broad efforts to help communities across the country better integrate arts, culture and creative placemaking into neighborhood revitalization, equitable development and transportation planning efforts. Get to know Ben and hear more about arts and culture in the short Q&A below.
Supporters spoke out for safer streets, and USDOT listened
Thanks to the action of supporters like you, all Americans will be safer on our streets. Yesterday the U.S. Department of Transportation released a much-improved ruling for how states and metro areas should measure — and be held accountable for improving — the safety of streets for everyone that uses them. Back in 2014, 1,500 Transportation […]
Seven semifinalist cities selected over the weekend in USDOT’s Smart City Challenge
Over the weekend, while appearing at the South by Southwest Interactive festival, USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the selection of seven cities to continue as semifinalists in the first-ever Smart City Challenge — a competition that will eventually award $40 million to just one city to “use technology to connect transportation assets into an interactive network.”
Interested in learning more about or applying for this year’s TIGER grants? Join us on 3/24
Though the future of the program is perpetually up in the air, $500 million in competitive federal funding is available for smart, local transportation projects this year in the TIGER program, and Transportation for America is here to help you learn more about the program.
Over 170 local elected, business and civic leaders from 45 states call on Congress to support TIGER & public transit funding
Over 170 elected officials and local, civic and business leaders from 45 U.S. states today sent a letter to congressional appropriators urging them to provide at least $500 million for another round of TIGER competitive transportation grants as well as the full amount authorized in last year’s FAST Act for new transit construction.
Massachusetts event highlights the growing trend of states moving to enable more local transportation funding
“Let the voters decide.” It’s a mantra we hear all the time in politics, but not quite as much in transportation. Yet that’s starting to change, as nearly a dozen states have taken steps to empower local communities with new or enhanced taxing authority for transportation over the last few years, putting the question directly in the hands of voters.
Tennessee charting a course to make streets more dangerous & hamstring local authority
A bill moving through the Tennessee state house would severely roll back local control over transportation spending, eliminating the flexibility that cities and counties currently have to invest in a wide range of transportation options — part and parcel of staying economically competitive.
Maryland attempting to bring accountability & transparency into process for selecting transportation projects
Maryland is attempting to join the growing movement of states trying to ensure that transportation projects are selected and built on their merits in a more transparent process. T4America testified today in favor of a bill that would move the needle in that direction.
Carrying the message of Gulf Coast support for passenger rail up to Capitol Hill
After last week’s inspiring rail trip along the Gulf Coast where we witnessed firsthand the massive support from citizens and local leaders alike for restoring passenger rail service along the coast, a member of the Southern Rail Commission testified before the Senate’s key rail committee earlier this week to deliver the same message Gulf Coast citizens so passionately presented at each stop last week.
Refreshed T4America bill tracker for following state transportation funding and policy progress
While at least 23 states have raised new funding for transportation at the state level since 2012, there’s a renewed focus on the underlying policies to make the most of limited infrastructure dollars. Which states are proposing to change to how those dollars are spent? Which states are working to create more transparency and build more public trust in transportation spending?
Though the program’s future is uncertain, $500 million in TIGER grants are now available
Though the future of the program could be in doubt, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced yesterday that $500 million is now available for the best local projects in the next round of the TIGER competitive grant program.
Watch last week’s creative placemaking online discussion
As part of the kickoff for T4America’s brand new online interactive guide to creative placemaking, we hosted an online conversation on the topic last week. If you missed the webinar, you can catch up here.
Though Congress passed a transportation bill, funding for key programs still up in the air
Though Congress passed a five-year transportation bill back in December, the fate of many important transportation programs will still be decided in Congress’ appropriations process this year. Among them is one of the few ways that local communities can directly receive funding for smart projects.
A look back at the overwhelming support for restoring Gulf Coast passenger rail [VIDEO]
The Gulf Coast inspection train toured a potential route and examined the CSX tracks last week from February 18-19th. It was the product of years of work by local residents and elected leaders at almost all levels to restore the passenger rail service wiped out by Katrina over ten years ago.
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