Transportation

Transportation for America: The Platform

Congress and the next Administration are facing the expiration of the current $286 billion national transportation program. The choice is clear: Move our nation in a bold new direction, or continue on the current path of spending billions of taxpayer dollars with little accountability on a system that is both broke and broken.

As Congress develops the next transportation bill, these six priorities should guide them.

1. Establish Accountability for Responsible Investment

The national transportation program should be invested in programs and projects that address pressing national priorities and agencies receiving funds should be accountable for how those funds are spent.

2. Invest to Compete in the 21st Century

The national transportation program should improve and protect U.S. competitiveness in the global economy. Ensure all Americans have the mobility and access needed to participate fully in a robust economy. Begin addressing our transportation infrastructure crisis by taking better care of what we have already built, bringing our transportation assets into a condition of good repair.

3. Invest for Multiple Payoffs in Solving Our Energy, Air Quality, and Climate Challenges

A core mission of the national transportation program should be to reduce the amount households and businesses spend on transportation, reduce the nation’s dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Reward and Support Smart Local Land Use Planning

The national transportation program should support land use patterns that create vibrant places with transportation opportunities for all Americans. Our nation can no longer afford to sink money into highway lanes or transit that become overwhelmed or undermined by poorly planned development. We need a more efficient system that rewards communities for developing in smarter, more sustainable ways, reducing energy use and carbon emissions while ensuring the availability of housing affordable to families of all incomes, near job centers and public transit.

5. Invest for Public Health and Safety

The national program should improve public health and safety. Support safe walking and biking, reduced exposure to vehicle injuries and dirty air. Provide federal funding and direction so that communities may retrofit unsafe urban roads; create complete streets safe for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists; and encourage active living in communities free of harmful levels of vehicle emissions.

6. Find New Ways to Pay for What We Need

New or increased revenue sources for the federal national transportation program should be equitable, consistent with national goals, and sustainable over the long term.

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Issue Papers:

Principles for Improving Transportation Options in Rural and Small Town Communities

Transportation, Economic Opportunity and America’s Future

Transportation, Small Towns and Rural Regions

Transportation, Health and Public Safety

Transportation Drives Land Development

Transportation + Housing: A Double Burden or Shared Opportunity?

Transportation and Climate: A Critical Linkage

Transportation and Social Equity: Opportunity Follows Mobility