How advocates can overcome delay and obstruction (part one) Fickr photo by Ted Eytan Local advocates fighting for safe streets and expanded transportation options will often struggle to make progress in places because transportation planners and engineers are entrenched in old ways of doing things. We’ve identified some patterns in the ways the establishment can…
Getting to equitable outcomes in the infrastructure law Despite the rhetoric, the infrastructure law falls well short of truly addressing the decades of harm our transportation system has inflicted on marginalized communities, and could even exacerbate existing inequities. However, it does provide some notable opportunities to restore and invest in these communities’ infrastructure needs. The…
Developing a workforce to get the most out of the infrastructure bill How can we build up our transportation industry without a developed workforce? Flickr photo by sandwichgirl Workforce recruitment and retention issues that plagued the transportation industry long before the pandemic now threaten the industry’s ability to implement and get the most out of…
The infrastructure law is not climate legislation, but states could make it green On Jan. 10, 2015, Dock Street in Annapolis, MD flooded after receiving over three quarters of an inch of rain in 24 hours. Flickr photo by Matt Roth/Chesapeake Bay Program Though distinctly not serious about fighting climate change, the Infrastructure Investment and…
The infrastructure law and boosting access to jobs and services Image from Pxfuel The ultimate point of transportation spending should be to connect people to jobs and services. But that’s not what we primarily use as a measure of success and the new infrastructure law maintains the status quo of focusing on moving vehicles quickly…
Everyone agrees that repair is important. No one is willing to require it Despite a fundamental lack of understanding by some members of Congress about the program they’re responsible for overseeing, the law sets states free to spend their federal transportation cash on eligible expenses, however they see fit. Our repair needs will never get…
FHWA Complete Streets report lays out an actionable path for transforming street design to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries After the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and USDOT issued a report to Congress this week about Complete Streets, Beth Osborne, Vice President of Transportation at Smart Growth America—the home of the National Complete Streets Coalition—issued this…
What does the new infrastructure law mean for micromobility? The expansion of grant and formula eligibility in the infrastructure law to include micromobility will give communities and states additional options for providing more transportation options, but those that are doing the most to make their streets safe and convenient stand to gain the most as…
The infrastructure law and safety: Will it be able to move the needle? Image from Vignesh Swaminathan, a keynote speaker at this year’s SGA Equity Summit, of his quick-build bike lanes in Emeryville, California The new infrastructure law authorizes around $650 billion to fund transportation infrastructure through formula and competitive grant programs, some of which…
Positioning for competitive grant application success With scores of competitive, surface transportation grant programs to administer, USDOT faces a heavy lift to get these programs off the ground, on top of administering the legacy programs that already existed. How should prospective grant applicants start preparing for success? Image from Inner City Capital Connection This post…
The infrastructure bill’s limited state of repair funding and policies Flickr photo of bridge resurfacing by WSDOT. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/49921039787 There is very little new funding in the infrastructure bill specifically dedicated to repair and no new requirements on highway monies for prioritizing repair on roads and bridges. Overall the law doubled down on the practice of…
Our solutions for congestion are worse than the problem For decades, transportation agencies have been trying to “solve” congestion by increasing road capacity, even when doing so can obliterate or divide communities, harm local businesses, and make streets more dangerous. Our latest cartoon shows how our “cures” for congestion are often worse than the problem.…