Three transportation coverage suggestions for state legislators and governors
As new and returning governors and legislators put together to take workplace, Transportation for America urges them to think about key transportation coverage suggestions in this transition memo.
Come January, 1000’s of latest and returning elected officers throughout the nation will return to legislative and govt workplaces, with a process to symbolize their constituents and make accountable selections. In the event that they need to guarantee they get transportation proper, we’ve three main suggestions to assist newly elected and returning governors and state legislators make sure that communities have entry to a protected, sustainable, and well-connected transportation system.
Repair it first
Regardless of main infusions of federal funds from the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act, states are nonetheless not prioritizing accountable administration of their transportation property. We’re falling behind in terms of sustaining the situation of our roadways, perpetuating an costly backlog of roads in poor situation that can price considerably extra to restore sooner or later. Because of this, drivers are compelled to journey over miles of deteriorating bridges and highways, which might lower gas effectivity, injury their automobiles, and expose them to elevated security hazards.
To stop this downside from worsening, states must assess whether or not they have enough funding to take care of any new infrastructure they plan to construct whereas concurrently having the ability to make progress on current infrastructure. Setting and implementing aggressive restore objectives, in addition to publicly monitoring them, creates visibility for constituents and bolsters the case for rising funding for restore. The stress to construct extra highways is robust and will sound extra glamorous than upkeep, however an strategy that values fixing what we’ve will ship on excessive requirements of restore, and key social, environmental, and financial outcomes.
Construct extra transit and extra housing close to it
Public transportation gives quite a few advantages to communities, from saving a whole lot of {dollars} a month by not having to take care of a personal automobile, to increasing financial progress for localities. Correct investments in transit can reap these advantages and extra by way of creating extra livable and environment friendly communities. Nevertheless, states have typically left the duty of managing transit providers to native governments, creating an imbalanced strategy to transit planning and spending. State-level funding for transit providers is simply as crucial as it’s to constructing out freeway methods, and needs to be handled as such.
The advantages of public transit will be additional enhanced when housing entry for all incomes is constructed close to transit hubs. This enables people the chance to stay in well-connected communities with out the burden of proudly owning a automotive. Present approaches to zoning encourage constructing single-family properties slightly than permitting builders to reply to the market demand. States can handle this by updating zoning codes to permit cities and builders to reply to market demand and construct extra housing close to transit, slightly than in line with a decades-old zoning ordinance.
Construct Full Streets in all communities
We’re within the midst of an alarming improve in pedestrian fatalities, with the variety of people who find themselves struck and killed or injured whereas driving reaching report highs in 2022. This epidemic continues to worsen as a result of our nation’s streets are designed to maneuver automobiles rapidly, which comes on the expense of holding folks protected. Full Streets gives an alternate strategy to planning, constructing, and sustaining streets that gives protected entry for all customers, together with pedestrians, motorists, bicyclists, and transit riders of all ages and talents. This strategy permits larger entry for communities and will increase financial exercise, all whereas avoiding the prices related to traumatic roadway crashes.
State DOTs can create and undertake Full Streets insurance policies which are designed to reply to your neighborhood’s distinctive wants and dedicate funding, employees assets, and accountability measures for its implementation. Traditionally, states have thought of lively transportation initiatives as native points. But a number of the most harmful roads for strolling and biking are owned and managed by state DOTs. State management in designing, funding, and sustaining lively transportation infrastructure could make an enormous distinction for improved security and mobility outcomes.
Whereas these suggestions stand on their very own as widespread sense coverage, it’s vital that your politicians know that these insurance policies are supported by you, their constituents. That’s why we strongly encourage you to share our transition memo your self together with your newly elected and re-elected officers. Doing so helps make sure that they know what issues most and the way they may be sure their workplaces’ transportation coverage would have the best influence on your neighborhood.
