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Three things we''re thinking

(1) Senate Democrats recommend less driving—as Senate committee approves billions for new roads: The Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis recently released a report recommending key federal actions in each sector to avert the impacts of climate change, including enabling Americans to choose walking, biking, or public transportation over driving. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Congress, transit needs at least $32 billion. Now: Massive cuts to transit service are imminent if agencies don’t receive the emergency funding they need to survive. There will be no economic recovery if transit evaporates. Congress needs to #SaveTransit. Read more on our blog > >

(3) Will Congress hold Amtrak accountable for providing essential passenger rail service? Communities large and small, urban and rural, are served by Amtrak’s national network of long distance routes, providing essential connections to jobs, services, and the broader economy. Amtrak is threatening to dramatically cut these services, severing essential connections despite clear directives from Congress. Read more on our blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) How cities can reclaim their streets from SUVs (Bloomberg CityLab): With more than two out of every three vehicles sold in the U.S. classified as “light trucks,” American cities are facing a growing problem. These SUVs are considered partly responsible for the growing number of pedestrian deaths (as well as streets that are dangerous by design). While cities can’t stop people from buying them, they can make their streets safer for people biking and walking.

(2) Middle America won’t survive losing Amtrak to COVID-19 (Streetsblog USA): As noted above, long-distance Amtrak routes are on the chopping block again. In this op-ed, Utah Rail Passengers executive director Mike Christensen notes that the $500 million annual subsidy Congress provides Amtrak for long-distance trains results in an estimated $5 billion in benefits to the communities along the routes.

(3) Are New Yorkers really buying cars in droves now? (Curbed): Thank you Curbed for debunking the “Vroom Boom” myth: Car registrations boomed in New York City this summer, but that was largely due to the logical bounceback following a "historic drop" this past spring, rather than any new change in preference.

Quote of the Week

Transit needs your help— TODAY!

Senate Republicans’ most recent COVID-19 relief proposal didn’t include any emergency funding for public transportation—at a time when transit is in crisis—and the House Democrats HEROES Act provided less than half of what transit needs to survive the pandemic and move everyone through a recovery.

Negotiations are ongoing right now between Congress and the White House on what will likely be the last COVID-19 relief package before the November elections. The window is rapidly closing to ensure that our transit systems will survive! 

We need to keep the pressure on Congress to pass at least $32 billion in emergency relief for transit. Here are two things you can do.

(1) Tweet to #SaveTransit today

We’re joining with the Save Public Transit Rally organizers today to make #SaveTransit trend for a national day of action. Use our social media toolkit to tweet (and tag your members of Congress) in support of at least $32 billion in emergency relief for transit.

(2) Email and call your member of Congress

Your Congressional delegation needs to hear from you. Use our action page to send an email to your members of Congress—even if you''ve sent one to them before. Every message helps!

You can also follow-up by making a phone call using the script on this page. Just click the phone icon at the top and enter your name/phone and you will be automatically connected to your member''s office.

Welcome to the Round-up

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Not your grandma’s transportation bill

Meet the INVEST Act

The transportation bill the full House is voting on next week is a new kind of transportation bill. The INVEST Act would begin to address our maintenance backlog, adjust road design to prioritize safety, and require states to measure and improve access to jobs and services by all modes (Transportation for America’s three key principles for improving transportation). It’s a far cry from the Senate’s version which largely proposed to funnel more money into the same programs making all our problems worse.

With the bill up for a vote next week, we need to make sure the House of Representatives supports this bill. Tell your U.S. representative that you support the INVEST Act.

There’s so much more to know about this new kind of transportation bill. Read all about it on our Reauthorization HQ.

Three things we''re thinking

(1) House committee passes a new kind of transportation bill: After two days of debate, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee passed its proposal for long-term surface transportation policy last week. The INVEST Act starts the work of updating our broken federal transportation program by prioritizing maintenance, safety, access, climate, and equity. T4America thanks Chairman Peter DeFazio for leading this effort and we urge the House to pass this modern bill next week. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Five things about INVEST—and how it compares to the Senate’s  bill: We’ve covered the bill from nearly every angle, but with the vote coming next week, here are five important things to remember, including how it radically outperforms the status quo proposal for reauthorization issued by the Senate last year. Read more on our blog >>

(3) An amendment to the INVEST Act closed the repair loopholes: By unanimous consent, the House T&I Committee approved a vital amendment to the INVEST Act to strengthen the bill’s maintenance requirement. The bipartisan amendment—introduced by Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García and supported by Rep. Mike Gallagher—better solidifies the language prioritizing maintenance over new road capacity. Read more on our blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) Cities delay infrastructure projects amid COVID-19 budget uncertainty (Route Fifty): A survey conducted by the National League of Cities of over 1,100 municipalities found that infrastructure projects are being cancelled or delayed at alarming rates. With revenue from sales taxes and other local taxes rapidly decreasing, local governments will need support to fund the infrastructure projects communities need.

(2) Most Americans believe the government should do more to combat climate change, poll finds (Washington Post): Don’t let this headline confuse you—support for emissions-reducing policies still divides starkly along partisan lines, and most Americans “are unwilling to pay for it on a personal level.” This amplifies the importance of advancing carbon-free transportation options that improve people’s lives at the same time.

(3) A revived debate: What role should police play in traffic safety? (MinnPost): During this renewed national conversation on racial justice, transportation planners and advocates are rethinking police as a tool to enforce traffic rules. “What does transportation safety mean?” asked Ash Narayanan, the executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis. “It’s often focused around reducing severe injuries, crashes and fatalities. [But] we also don’t talk about the reality of police violence that led to killings of so many Black community members.”

Quote of the Week

Read more from Beth Osborne here > >

Take Action

Next week, the full House of Representatives will vote on the INVEST Act. This bill would make urgent and substantial changes to federal transportation policy, finally connecting the program to outcomes that Americans value. Tell your U.S. representative that you support the INVEST Act and how it would better direct our spending to address our country''s needs.

If you represent an organization or are an elected official, you can join our sign-on letter thanking the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for passing the INVEST in America Act. The deadline to sign is close of business today.

Dear Alexander,

Thank you for signing up for Transportation for America''s email list and for your interest in creative placemaking. We''ll send you our biweekly newsletter and a few other emails from time to time, about 2-3 a month. As well as any new information on creative placemaking as it comes.

We hope you are enjoying The Scenic Route, Transportation for America’s online guidebook on how transportation leaders can build better projects, partnerships, and places by incorporating local arts, culture, & creativity. Help us by spreading the word about this new online guide by emailing your friends and colleagues, and by sharing to social networks.

Spread the word about the guide

Register for the public launch on 2/17

If you''re reading this before 3:30 EST on Wednesday, February 17th, we’ll be launching the guide today with an online discussion. It''s not too late to join, so register now!

Do you have any feedback on the resource you''d like to share? We''d love to hear it. Send any feedback to placemaking@t4america.org.

Dear Alexander,

Thank you for signing up for Transportation for America''s email list and for your interest in creative placemaking. We''ll send you our biweekly newsletter and a few other emails from time to time, about 2-3 a month. As well as any new information on creative placemaking as it comes.

We hope you are enjoying The Scenic Route, Transportation for America’s online guidebook on how transportation leaders can build better projects, partnerships, and places by incorporating local arts, culture, & creativity. Help us by spreading the word about this new online guide by emailing your friends and colleagues, and by sharing to social networks.

Spread the word about the guide

Register for the public launch on 2/17

If you''re reading this before 3:30 EST on Wednesday, February 17th, we’ll be launching the guide today with an online discussion. It''s not too late to join, so register now!

Do you have any feedback on the resource you''d like to share? We''d love to hear it. Send any feedback to placemaking@t4america.org.

Welcome to the Round-up

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CONGRESS NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU

Send a message for $32 billion in emergency funding for transit

On Tuesday, Democrats in the House of Representatives released their next COVID-19 relief bill with only $15 billion in emergency operating support for public transportation. That’s a start, but not enough to ensure that transit agencies can keep their workers healthy and safely return to service when this pandemic subsides.

Transit needs more to survive. We need you to send a message to your congressional delegation urging them to increase that number to $32 billion to support transit through the end of 2021. The roll call vote is today.

Three things we''re thinking

(1) Arts & Transportation Rapid Response: In response to COVID-19, Smart Growth America is excited to launch Arts & Transportation Rapid Response, a new opportunity for cities looking to creatively and quickly address pandemic-related transportation challenges. We believe that artists and designers—who are also struggling with cancelled projects and gigs—can help. Learn more about the grant opportunity here > >

(2) More than one million households without a car in rural America need better transit: Despite what many people think, the majority of U.S. counties with high rates of zero-car households are rural. In fact, more than one million households in predominantly rural counties do not have access to a vehicle. Rural Americans without cars face unique barriers and they deserve a tailored approach to their transit needs rather than just assuming they can or will drive everywhere. Read more on our blog > >

(3) How cities are adapting curbs to address COVID-19: Social distancing has dramatically changed how people use public space. Luckily, cities have a powerful asset to help residents adjust to this new normal: curbside management. Here’s a round-up of strategies cities are using to manage curb space during COVID-19. Read more on our blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) Transit agencies call for additional $33 billion in federal aid (Politico): It’s not just New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) arguing that House Democrats’ proposal of $15 billion for transit is insufficient. Transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New Jersey are joining MTA in asking Congress for $33 billion in emergency operating support.

(2) What do bikes and toilet paper have in common? Both are flying out of stores amid the coronavirus pandemic (Washington Post): Bicycle sales nationwide went up 50 percent in March as people bike more for recreation and transportation. This could be a good thing for our cities, : but only if they move quickly to create more safe space for bikes on our roads.

(3) Seattle will permanently close 20 miles of residential streets to most vehicle traffic (Seattle Times) Seattle’s open streets to promote social distancing are here to stay. “We need to continue to build out a transportation system that enables people of all ages and abilities to bike and walk across the city,” said Sam Zimbabwe, director of Seattle’s Department of Transportation.

Quote of the Week

Read the Washington Post Letter to the Editor here > 

Welcome to the Round-up

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Three things we''re thinking

(1) Five things Congress can do to save transit: Public transportation is in crisis. Transit agencies are suffering tremendous losses in ridership and farebox revenue, as well as state and local revenues, with no end in sight. Meanwhile, the multi-year transportation bill passed in the House of Representatives that includes some relief for public transit won’t pass anytime soon. Here’s what Congress must do to truly save transit from collapsing. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Biden/Sanders Unity Task Force report falls short on climate: Climate change takes a prominent role in the policy recommendations released by Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in partnership with Bernie Sanders supporters, but the proposal fails to call for the comprehensive changes needed to address transportation emissions. Here’s how the recommendations fall short, particularly in comparison to the House’s new climate blueprint and the INVEST Act. Read more on our blog > >

(3) Three things to know about FY2021 House transportation appropriations: Earlier this month, the House Appropriations Committee approved transportation funding levels for fiscal year 2021. Emergency funding for the primary transit construction program and passenger rail is great, but more money for highways—funneled into existing broken programs that just make traffic worse—is not. Read more on our blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) COVID-19 exacerbates food insecurity for Greater Boston’s car-free households (Streetsblog Mass): Thirty percent of households in the dense, small city of Chelsea, MA—right across the river from Boston—don’t have cars, yet the city’s two grocery stores are located far from homes and are “surrounded by huge parking lots and threatening multi-lane roadways with hardly any shade for pedestrians or bus riders.” According to the operations director of the city’s food pantry, the solution to this food insecurity is “better public transport and walkable cities.”

(2) The pandemic has pushed aside city planning rules. But to whose benefit? (The New York Times): With pop-up bike lanes, street cafes, and other open streets policies spreading in cities across the country, planners and researchers are looking at community input processes in a new light: particularly, how public meetings are “inherently unequal.” Community feedback on city planning disproportionately comes from wealthy white residents—which means cities need to put in new and extra effort to effectively serve people of color and low-income residents.

(3) City Limits, a new framework to set safe speed limits on city streets (NACTO): Yesterday, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released “City Limits,” a guide for setting urban speed limits. NACTO’s new approach throws out the notorious “85th-percentile” method of setting speed limits (that often results in speeds “that are inappropriately fast for urban environments”), and replaces it with a context-sensitive, three-pronged approach.

Quote of the Week

House bill charts course to updating our broken transportation policy

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a reauthorization proposal that makes substantial changes to the federal transportation program, getting a passing grade on our three principles for transportation investment—albeit with a few caveats related to our first principle on repair. Read our full statement about the bill.

Here’s how the bill meets our three core goals for transportation policy, which you can read in-depth about on our blog. Beyond our core three principles, we also put together a list of nine other things to know—good and bad—about this bill. Read that here.

1) Takes steps to prioritize maintenance across the board

The new House bill doesn’t go as far as our call to cut the road, bridge, and transit maintenance backlog in half by dedicating formula dollars for maintenance (meriting our verdict of a Larry David gif), but it does finally push transportation agencies to prioritize maintenance in other concrete ways. Everyone in Congress talks nonstop about raising new money to “repair our crumbling roads and bridges,” and then they never make the requisite policy changes to guarantee it’ll ever happen. With this bill, the walk is starting to line up with the talk. But the House must make some fixes.

2) Institutes a comprehensive approach to safety

We must save lives with road designs that support and encourage safer, slower driving. The conventional approach to designing all roads—wide lanes and wide roads to allow for high speeds—has resulted in an epidemic of death on our nation’s roads and the highest number of people being struck and killed while walking and biking in three decades—disproportionately killing Black Americans and people in other communities of color. In this bill, safety goes from a talking point to action.

It would end the heinous practice of letting states aim for more deaths on their roads, require the most dangerous states to spend more on safety, dedicate more funding toward protecting the most vulnerable users, and focus on making our roads safe for everyone and providing the money and standards for transportation agencies to build Complete Streets.

3) States and metro area planners must determine how well their system connects people to jobs—drivers and non-drivers alike

It’s past time to measure transportation success by how many jobs and services people can access, not how fast cars can drive on specific segments of road, as our current program does. This is where this bill most hits the mark. For the first time at the national level, recipients of federal transportation funding will be required to measure how well their system connects people to the things they need, whether they drive, take transit, walk or bike. And they will be penalized if they fail to use federal funding to improve that access.

What’s next for this bill?

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is planning a markup and committee vote on this bill next Wednesday, June 17 to advance it to the full House. We are working with members on amendments to strengthen the maintenance section of this bill and fine-tune other programs. We will absolutely need your help to make sure members of Congress support these vital amendments and the overall bill, which represents a much better starting point for negotiations than the Senate’s largely status quo approach. Stay tuned for ways you can take action later this week.

Welcome to the Round-up

Our bi-weekly newsletter to keep up with T4America

Three things we''re thinking

(1) How transit agencies are keeping workers and riders safe: As we slowly settle into a new normal, transit agencies across the country are making big changes to their operations to keep employees and riders safe. We checked in with our transit agency members across the country to see how they’re adapting to COVID-19 and what they need to keep going. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Webinar recap: How the Senate’s transportation proposal would make climate change worse: Transportation is the largest source of U.S. carbon emissions, and most of it comes from driving. But a long-term transportation bill passed by a Senate committee last summer would only make this problem worse. Last week, with Third Way, we discussed the role federal transportation policy plays in climate change—and what a better transportation bill looks like. Read more on our blog > >

(3) One more week to apply to the Champions Institute: A Complete Streets policy is just part of what makes it possible for a community to create safer streets, but political leadership is key. To help prepare more of our elected officials to effectively advocate for and support Complete Streets, Smart Growth America has launched the Champions Institute. We are accepting applications from local officials through September 17, 2020. Read more on Smart Growth America’s blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) ‘Certain streets are designed to kill’: How U.S. roadways target minorities and the poor (Fast Company): This excerpt from former Streetsblog USA editor Angie Schmitt’s new book hammers home the human toll of our car-centric infrastructure. Schmitt tells the story of a Philadelphia family killed while trying to cross the street, and explains how pedestrian deaths are the results of deadly design decisions.

(2) Webinar: Identifying and addressing barriers to physical activity in the Black community: (National Association of Chronic Disease Directors): Join this discussion on Friday, September 18 about barriers to mobility and physical activity experienced by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in the United States. Panelists will “offer strategies for ensuring racial equity and justice in efforts to increase physical activity.”

(3) A week after restoring nearly full service, Metro (DC) faces possibility of budget cuts (Washington Post): We’re not surprised: transit agencies all over the country are bleeding money as costs go up (increased cleaning and leave for employees at high-risk from COVID-19 and dealing with childcare and schooling-at-home) and revenue goes down (minimal or suspended fare collection and greatly diminished sales tax receipts). Congress, it’s your job to make sure that this essential service isn’t gutted by COVID-19.

Quote of the Week

House bill proposes $15 billion for transit. It’s not enough

Tell Congress that more is needed

Yesterday, Democrats in the House of Representatives released their next COVID-19 relief bill. The bill includes only $15 billion in emergency operating support for public transportation—that''s a start, but not enough to ensure that transit agencies can keep their workers healthy and safely return to service when this pandemic subsides.

We know that transit needs more. That’s why we’re asking Congress to double that number and approve $32 billion in emergency operating support. Send a message to your congressional delegation urging them to support $32 billion for transit

If you represent a national group or are an elected official, you can also sign our letter to congressional leadership. We are sending this letter this Friday, so time is of the essence if your organization wants to join this letter.

If we don’t act now, millions of Americans—including millions of essential workers, such as nurses and grocery clerks—will lose access to jobs, healthcare, and other critical services. And any long-term economic recovery will be nearly impossible without transit service to help people safely get back to work as this unprecedented crisis subsides.

We give $40 billion to states every year to build highways. In this moment of extraordinary need, transit requires $32 billion to keep running through 2021. That’s an investment well worth making.

We can’t afford for transit to stop running, or be unable to pick up when the economy does. We need Congress to act, but time is short. Send your message today!

Tomorrow: #SaveTransit tweet storm

Tell Congress: Transit needs at least $32 billion. Now.

Public transportation is reaching the point of no return: with revenue drastically down, transit agencies need emergency funding to avoid making devastating cuts to service.

Yet Congress has passed zero emergency dollars for transit since the first COVID-19 relief package in March. And that money has run out for many agencies, due to necessary and expensive measures meant to keep employees and riders safe—at the same time they’re losing funding from decreased fares and local sales taxes.

This is unacceptable. Public transit agencies are calling on Congress to provide agencies with at least $32 billion in emergency relief. This critical funding would allow agencies to restore and safely operate the transit service that so many Americans count on.

Join us on Twitter all-day tomorrow (Thursday, September 17) for a #SaveTransit Tweet Storm. Tweet at your member of Congress to #SaveTransit using our social media toolkit, and then send an email to your members using our action page.

Welcome to the Round-up

Our bi-weekly newsletter to keep up with T4America

Three things we''re thinking

(1) Why the Senate’s transportation bill is terrible for climate: Last summer, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a long-term transportation bill that was praised for its climate title, marking the first time the word “climate” was included in a bipartisan transportation bill. But while this climate title was worth celebrating, the bill overall would actually result in more emissions, not less. Here’s how, and why we need a different approach > > 

(2) A bipartisan transportation bill isn’t always good, but it can be: The same transportation bill that would be bad for climate was also lauded as an example of bipartisanship. While the bill was indeed bipartisan, it does great damage to the priorities of both the Democrats and Republicans. Transportation for America Director Beth Osborne explains why bipartisanship on its own doesn’t make a bill good, and how it’s possible to create a transportation bill that achieves both parties’ objectives. Read more on our blog > >

(3) Searching for a Complete Streets champion: A Complete Streets policy is just part of what makes it possible for a community to create safer streets, but political leadership is key. To help prepare more of our elected officials to effectively advocate for and support Complete Streets, Smart Growth America has launched the Champions Institute. We are accepting applications from local officials through September 10, 2020. Read more on Smart Growth America’s blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) New York’s MTA becomes second to tap Fed as banks demand higher yields (Bloomberg): With no federal emergency relief on the horizon, New York City’s transit agency borrowed $451 million from the Federal Reserves earlier this week. The MTA’s CEO said that this move “underscores” the agency’s critical need for $12 billion in emergency relief from the federal government.

(2) ‘We’re desperate’: Transit cuts felt deepest in low-income areas (The New York Times): The Americans suffering the worst effects of COVID-19 service cuts are people of color and low-income people. The New York Times reports that 67 percent of the 2.8 million essential workers using transit to reach their jobs are people of color. Congress is still not listening.

(3) Transport and inequality: Why disparities in access matter in cities (The City Fix): This data deep-dive explores a realm of inequality that often doesn’t receive as much attention as the “urban-rural divide”—the growing inequalities within cities. WRI researchers reveal how spatial segregation in Mexico City and Johannesburg restricts job access, and draw parallels to U.S. cities.

Quote of the Week

Will you demand change?

Alexander, Take a look at almost any street in America and you can see the need for change.

Potholes, missing sidewalks, unsafe streets, and a lack of options for people outside of vehicles are rampant. But protesters marching in the streets have also called attention to the deep racial inequities in transportation investment, inclusion, and access. Inequities that have been aided and abetted by federal transportation policy that largely exists unchanged from decades ago.

Change is possible if enough of us demand it. Here''s your chance.

The INVEST Act is a proposal in the U.S. House—being voted on next week—that will rewrite our country''s transportation rules for the next five years. It would finally start to require repair before building expensive new roads, and center transportation planning around multimodal access so people outside of cars are no longer left behind. It would take aggressive action to make our streets safer with everything from new street design standards to changing how speed limits are set. And it puts new requirements and funding into addressing climate change across the entire program and supporting our national passenger rail network.

The scale of change in the INVEST Act is a sign that leaders in Congress are taking reforms seriously, but they need to know that you care about this too. Will you send a message to your representative and urge them to support modern transportation policy?

Welcome to the Round-up

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Three things we''re thinking

(1) The CARES Act isn’t enough to save public transportation: COVID-19 is costing transit agencies billions in lost revenue and increased costs to protect personnel and riders. And unfortunately, the $25 billion in emergency funding for transit in the CARES Act won’t be  enough—especially if stay-at-home orders continue indefinitely. The next relief package needs to give transit agencies more emergency assistance in order to keep transit workers safe and make sure that transit will be there for all of us when this crisis is over. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Here are four things transit agencies can do to fight for more funding: The $25 billion in emergency funding provided for transit agencies was a great start—but as the crisis continues, agencies (and rural agencies in particular) likely need more funds to keep their personnel safe and return to normal service when stay at home orders loosen. Here are five powerful actions transit agencies can take to fight for more funding. Read more on our blog > >

(3) How COVID-19 is impacting rural transit:  The impacts of the pandemic on public transportation are not limited to big cities. Rural agencies were already stretched thin before the pandemic, and with unstable financial support, “My system is two payrolls away from being broke,” said the director of a rural transit operator in Oklahoma.  Read more on our blog >> and don’t miss the quote of the week below from a terrific VICE story about the same issues.

Three things we''re reading

(1) Smart growth and the pandemic. (Smart Growth America) Affordable, multimodal transportation, safe streets for everyone, and housing diversity and choice will be vital to helping our communities bounce back and recover from COVID-19. View all of our parent organization’s valuable resources related to the pandemic, including T4America’s content.

(2) Nearly 100 US transit workers have died of Covid-19 amid lack of basic protections (The Guardian): Transit workers are on the frontline, providing much-needed service to scores of hospital staff, grocery store personnel, and other essential workers. But without safeguards like personal protective equipment and sick time, they’re at incredibly high risk.

(3) Paris has a plan to keep cars out after lockdown (CityLab): Ann Hidalgo, Paris’s mayor, knows that there’s a connection between air pollution and COVID-19 outcomes—and is setting policy to make the French capital safer. “So it’s out of the question to think that arriving in the heart of the city by car is any sort of solution, when it could actually aggravate the situation.”

Quote of the Week

Read the VICE article here > >

Action you can take

Transit workers and riders, send us your stories. Many of you have already shared stories with us about your experience working on the front lines as a transit employee, or as someone either still riding or being forced to stay home as service dwindles. Your stories are empowering our advocacy as we press Congress to provide more emergency operations funding for transit and issue clear guidance for what agencies should do to keep everyone safe. But we need more! Tell us your experience operating or riding transit using this form, email or tweet us a short video, or schedule a time to talk to us on the phone.

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Take action: make changes to the surface transportation bill

Send a message to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released its first stab at the next long-term transportation funding bill. The INVEST Act is the first bill we’ve seen that actually connects transportation funding to the outcomes Americans want.

It’s a strong start, but we need to tell Congress to make some critical changes to this bill before they vote on it just next week. If you live in one of the House T&I districts, you can send a message to the House T&I Committee thanking them for a job well done and urging them to adopt Transportation for America’s key changes. 

In addition: If you represent an organization, you can send a letter on your letterhead to the committee in support of the bill. Check out sample text and who to send the letter to on our website.

Three things we''re thinking

(1) How well does the House’s new transportation bill advance T4America’s core principles? Federal transportation policy is in desperate need of an overhaul. Here’s more on how the new INVEST Act from the House starts to redirect transportation policy toward maintaining the current system, protecting the safety of people on the roads, and getting people to jobs, schools, groceries and health care. Read more on our blog > >

(2) Nine other important things to know about the House’s transportation bill: Our three principles are what we care about the most, but there are nine other important things to know about the House’s introductory effort to replace the FAST Act, which expires this December. Most are exciting, but there are two major disappointments. Read more on our blog > >

(3) CDC quietly revises their guidance to encourage people to use transit safely: Two weekends ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly revised their guidance for using public transportation after an outpouring of criticism from Transportation for America and others that saying the CDC was contradicting years of their own guidance that encouraging more driving incurs massive public health costs in pollution, respiratory illnesses, obesity, and preventable traffic deaths. Read more on our blog > >

Three things we''re reading

(1) ‘Safe Streets’ are not safe for Black lives (CityLab): As protests over police brutality towards Black Americans spread across the country, it’s important to recognize and rectify how racism affects all sectors—not just policing. Planner Destiny Thomas writes for CityLab on how quick build transportation projects to open streets to pedestrians and cyclists might produce unintended consequences for Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other people of color who are already suffering from past land use or transportation decisions made without their input.

(2) The traffic trade-off (New York Times): All across the world, vehicle traffic has decreased due to COVID-19, but road deaths have not. Why? Our roads are designed for high-speed driving, which is easier when there aren’t other cars in the way. The solution: Design roads where cars have no choice but to drive slowly. That is, streets where people walking, biking, and taking transit are prioritized over those in cars.

(3) New sales tax will fuel transit modernization in Cincinnati (Government Technology): Cincinnati voters passed a ballot measure earlier this month to increase transit service—in the middle of a pandemic. “I think that speaks volumes for the fact that the community truly believes that now is the right time to invest and grow our service,” said a spokesperson for the local transit agency. It’s also a testament to the power of local advocacy, with an incredibly diverse coalition leading the way to victory, including Cincinnati’s Better Bus Coalition, numerous faith groups, the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, and scores of others.

Quote of the Week

Read the CityLab interview with Paul Wiedefeld here >>