Next year Congress is slated to take critical action on federal legislation that will shape most of the nation’s transportation system for years to come — action that could steer our nation toward more sustainable, efficient and affordable transportation.
Congressional reauthorization of this surface transportation legislation presents an excellent opportunity for smart thinking about how best to invest public sector dollars in ways that spur growth and expand economic prosperity for all Americans, right in keeping with the Growth & Justice philosophy.
A national coalition called Transportation for America (T4America) issued an ambitious call this month for a federal transportation package that deals with transportation challenges and policies in a broader context of important national policy issues, including economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development.
T4America’s brief, five-point platform [download pdf] points out the national economy depends upon our network of roads, rails, transit lines and pathways but notes, too, that the transportation network is in disrepair and offers too few affordable, efficient and convenient options to too few Americans.
The five points from T4America are sensible enough: Modernize and expand the nation’s transit and rail network to reduce our dependence on oil and to better connect metro regions.
- Modernize and expand the nation’s transit and rail network to reduce our dependence on oil and to better connect metro regions.
- Invest in cleaner, greener modes of transportation, including transit, bikeways and walkways.
- Invest in and restore existing highways, bridges and transit systems before building new roads that will require more public dollars for maintenance and repair.
- Stop wasteful spending on federally funded projects that offer little in the way of economic return and on projects that increase our dependence on oil.
- Offer more affordable and efficient transportation options to help Americans avoid traffic congestion and high gas costs, and promote housing options that match well with new possibilities offered by the evolving transportation system.
T4America says these policy pathways will benefit the nation by reducing the transportation costs for American families, creating jobs, reducing our dependence on oil, helping communities cope with traffic congestion, reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, and restoring neighborhoods that retain their value as places because of their transportation networks and their access to job sites.
Congress would be wise to consider the T4America platform as it begins work on the federal transportation package that will lay out specifics for the next six years of investments, policies and choices regarding highways, bridges, transit, safety, and bike and pedestrian routes.
The ideas in the platform undoubtedly will get fair airing from Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar as he leads the federal reauthorization effort from his position as chair of the U.S. House’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Good thing.
— Matt Kane
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.