transportation Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Transportation For America

T4A’s Beth Osborne Highlights Economic Development in Pacific Northwest Appearances

T4A is pleased to announce upcoming events featuring T4A’s Senior Policy Advisor Beth Osborne in Oregon and Washington September 10^th and 11^th. Ms. Osborne brings five year’s experience at US DOT – including serving as Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy – and a national perspective on prospects for improvements to transportation policy and funding.

Osborne and local speakers will discuss economic development implications stemming from how we plan and develop our roads, transit systems and freight networks, and how we might measure success. Come learn how regions across the country have made investment decisions, and what the results they have achieved with regard to economic development and competitiveness. As a benefit of being a T4A member you are able to get discounts on T4A events. To receive a discount on upcoming events enter the promo code: T4A1707 and receive 50% off your tickets.

If you have any trouble with the promo code or have any questions regarding these upcoming events please contact Alicia Orosco at alicia.orosco@t4america.org.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 12:00-1:30pm at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30-9:00am at the Metro Regional Center, Portland

Improving Health and Opportunities: Job Connections for Working Communities

Local civic, business, and elected leaders face a tough dilemma. The elimination of JARC (Job Access and Reverse Commute) has led to service cuts that are crucial to connecting citizens to jobs, health care, school and other essential destinations. MAP-21 missed a major opportunity to fund the once authorized JARC, leading to a handful of states and localities develop innovative ways to supplement true job connections.

In Washington State, flexible and cost-effective, vanpools have become an increasingly popular mode of transit. Ben Franklin Transit (BFT), a privately operated municipal vanpool company located in Southeast Washington, has filled a significant gap in fixed route coverage in 12 cities, 8 counties and two states. A combination of user fees and local & state dollars support the system that serves a diverse mix of riders. Through direct partnerships with major area-employers, vanpooling subsidies are offered to offset the cost of transportation for riders.

How did BFT get started? What results are being seen by riders and employers in Southeast Washington? Read the original T4America case study here: http://bit.ly/1P0Rf0J.

The Monongahela Valley is home to 13 of the 15 poorest communities in Allegheny County, PA. These communities once heavily relied transit to access now non-existent manufacturing jobs. The elimination of JARC led to systemwide cuts by the Port Authority and left many with 4 to 7 mile commutes before reaching their Port Authority bus stop. In 2013, the Pennsylvania legislature raised significant new revenues for transportation statewide through the passage of Act 89, which enabled Heritage Community Initiatives, a human services non-profit, to restore and operate the service, now known as Heritage Community Transportation. 97% of riders on the important link would have no other way to get to work.

What prompted the state legislature to raise additional funding for transit? For more information about Heritage Community Transportation’s work and for the extended T4America case study click here: http://bit.ly/1IBaiJE

Look out of for more regional case studies on Improving Health and Opportunities over the next couple of weeks. Interested in more transportation equity news and trends? Contact Alicia Orosco, for more information at alicia.orosco@t4america.org.

ICYMI: T4A Members-Only Transit ROI Webinar; Materials Included

Today, T4A hosted a members-only webinar on Transit Return on Investment and how to assess impacts in your region.

As a T4A member, you can access the webinar anytime through this page.

Given the number of regions across the country contemplating similar transit investments, T4A created a rubric for understanding the full range of economic impacts that transit projects have in a region. As detailed by the report’s lead author, Sarah Kline, this methodology includes both near term and long-term economic impacts, including: Employment, Business Attraction, Real Estate Development, Impact on Disposable Income, Fiscal Impacts.

Access the webinar powerpoint here.

View the complete Weighing Maryland’s Economic Future report as a guide to help assess economic impacts of proposed projects and what this can mean for your region.
Also check out The Benefits of Transit in the United States: A Review and Analysis of Benefit-Cost Studies by the Mineta Transportation Institute.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Alicia Orosco at alicia.orosco@t4america.org with questions on this members-only webinar.