What Biden's First 100 Days Will Look Like for Transportation

Policy analysts believe that under the incoming Biden administration, federal transportation policy will be shaped by climate change and equity concerns more than ever before. John Gallagher writes "it was made clear during the presidential campaign that climate change and civil rights would be a major focus of the next administration." As politicians acknowledge the harmful effects of exclusionary and racist policies and the role of government in shaping healthy, safe, and effective transportation networks for everyone, new leaders like Biden's Transportation Secretary nominee, Pete Buttigieg, must broaden their collaboration with diverse communities and place equity at the forefront of decision making.

Attorney Fred Wagner is hopeful that the new administration will close out the era of major highway projects and focus funds and resources from Biden's "Build Back Better" initiative on maintenance, transit, and micro-mobility projects that have a positive impact on historically underserved communities. The proposed $2 trillion package addresses water, energy, and broadband infrastructure, calling for an "equitable, clean energy future" that eliminates "the old economy's structural weaknesses and inequalities" and advances racial equity. Now that Congress has passed the latest COVID-19 relief bill, infrastructure could be next on the table.