All the talk about the Highway Trust Fund can make it seem like the U.S. transportation system. Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer argue that funding is only a symptom of the deeper problem.
"It’s long past time for Congress to throw out its Eisenhower-era transportation policy and replace it with something new, a vision that reflects the reality we inhabit now," declare Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer for Politico's ongoing series of features on transportation.
The main point of Puentes and Tomer's argument is to begin got frame a new national transportation agenda: "If we started to think about transportation as a way to build the kind of country we want in 50 years, we wouldn’t just talk about moving people and goods faster. Instead, we’d lay out our bigger priorities and figure out how transportation can help us achieve them."
As for what those priorities should be, Puentes and Tomer focus on providing access to tradable industries so they can compete in the global marketplace, connecting residents to jobs to make the transportation network a tool for equality of opportunity, and addressing the impacts of transportation as the country’s second-largest polluting sector, both through vehicle technology and land use planning.
The article goes on to lay out a three-pronged strategy for achieving those goals.
FULL STORY: Freight, cities and opportunity
Will Voters Fund Transportation Measures in November?
An overview of key transportation-related ballot measures that will be decided in November’s election.
Repositioning Bike and Walking Trails as Essential Infrastructure
Cities and states can access federal transportation funding by including trails in long-range transportation plans.
Michigan’s Draft Five-Year Transportation Plan Includes $10.9 Billion for Highway Projects
Michigan legislators are also considering $3.7 billion for the state’s Public Transportation Program over the next five years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie