Rockefeller Foundation

8/8/2019 Rockefeller Foundation

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Blueprint for a 21st Century

federal transportation

program

tHerOute TO

REFORM


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T4America.org

202-955-5543

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ransportation or America (4 America) repre-

sents a broad range o national and local organi-

zations and thousands o individuals ocused on

modernizing and maintaining our national trans-

portation system inrastructure. Our members

believe that sound investments in transportation

are critical to the health o the nations economy

and essential or reducing our current dependenceon oil.

As Congress takes up debate over the ederal

surace transportation program, 4 America

joins many others in calling or the transorma-

tive change required to ensure our policies and

programs are better aligned to serve the needs o

a 21st Century America.

Congress should not shy away rom restructuring

the ederal surace transportation program and

its agencies. Tere is simply too much at stake or

the economy, our environment, and the needs

o Americans in every community across the

country.

We need a bold vision or the nations transpor-

tation inrastructure investments that promotes

maximum economic benets, access to oppor-

tunity, public health and environmental sustain-

ability or people living in urban, suburban and

rural communities. It is particularly urgent that

our roads, public transportation and rail systems

be made saer and more accessible or the grow-ing numbers o older Americans. Tis means

planning our transportation systems and our

development patterns to ensure that there are

convenient and aordable travel options available

to everyone, in every community, at every stage

o lie.

Tis document represents the best thinking o

many transportation proessionals, public o-

cials, and stakeholders, who were convened by

4 America to outline in detail the policy rame-

works that will build a national program capable

o laying the groundwork or a prosperous uture.

In it is our sincere hope that members o Con-

gress and their sta will nd here the thoughtul

guidance they seek as they undertake a heroic

rewriting o transportation policy at this pivotalmoment in our nations history.

Abouttasoao fo

Amca


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tHerOute TO

REFORMBlueprint for a 21st Century

federal transportation

program

Ackowdgms

Transportation for America wishes to thank

the many people who reviewed and helped

to develop the proposals in this Blueprint. In

particular, we express our appreciation to ShelleyPoticha, Andy Cotugno, David Burwell, Linda

Bailey, Hal Hiemstra, Michelle Giguere, and

Debbie Collard. Special acknowledgement also

goes to Lilly Shoup, Annie Finkenbinder and

Andrew Bielak on the T4 America staff for their

research assistance, and to Mariia V. Zimmerman

for directing the policy work teams and serving

as primary editor.

The pfomac Masm ad

AccoabyWork Team was lead by David

Warm and Mell Henderson with the Mid-America

Regional Council, and included Geoff Anderson,

Smart Growth America; Tom Bulger, Government

Relations; Anne Canby, Surface Transportation

Policy Partnership; Marlene Connor and Jim

McLaughlin, Wilbur Smith Associates; Fred

Hansen and Eric Hesse, Tri-Met; Roger Millar,

Director of Planning City of Missoula, Montana;

Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense

Fund; David Van Hattum, Transit for Livable

Communities

The pogam Sc Work Team was lead

by Shelley Poticha, Reconnecting America, and

included Andy Cotugno, Portland Metro; Jeff

Boothe, Holland & Knight, LLC; Michael Allegra,

Utah Transit Authority; Linda Bailey, NYC DOT;

Sarah Campbell, District of Columbia; and

James Corless, Metropolitan Transportation

Commission

The isoa rfom Work Team was

led by Paul Bay, and included Rex Burkholder,

Portland METRO; Elaine Clegg, Idaho SmartGrowth; Jim Charlier, Charlier & Associates;

Joel Ettinger, New York MTC; Jackie Grimshaw,

Center for Neighborhood Technology; Tom

Murphy, Urban

The rv ad Fac Working Group was

led by David Burwell, and included Bill Ankner,

Louisiana DOT; Chris Leinberger, LOCUS;

Jack Lettiere; Deron Lovaas, NRDC; Therese

McMillan, MTC; Paul Marx, Sacramento RTD;

Robert Puentes, Brookings Institution, and

Jonathan Rose, Rose Companies


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ecv s

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed

into law the largest public works program in his-

tory, an inrastructure project that would reshape

America in the 20th century. Te National Inter-

state and Deense Highways Act, as it is com-

monly known, embodied a vision that Americas

cities and states could be linked with a network

o superhighways that would allow people, com-

merce and the military to move rapidly rom one

part o the country to another.

Fity years later, the Interstate Highway System

has been built, and America stands in desperate

need o a new vision or our national transporta-

tion system. Just as the Interstate highway bill an-

swered some o the most pressing mobility needs

o the rapidly growing nation in the mid-20thcentury, a new ederal surace transportation bill

must answer the vastly dierent needs o America

in the 21st century. Te next transportation pro-

gram must set about the urgent task o repairing

and maintaining our existing transportation as-

sets, building a more well-rounded transportation

network, and making our current system work

more eciently and saely to create complete and

healthy communities. It should invest in modern

and aordable public transportation, sae places

to walk and bicycle, smarter highways that use

technology and tolling to better manage conges-tion, long-distance rail networks, and land use

policies that reduce travel demand by locating

more aordable housing near jobs and services.

And it should put us on the path towards a

stronger national uture by helping us reduce our

oil dependency, slow climate change, improve

social equity, enhance public health, and ashion

a vibrant new economy.

Getting there rom here will require some

signicant reorms. o meet these goals, the 4

America coalition oers our main recommenda-

tions or the upcoming transportation authoriza-

tion bill:

Develop a New National ransportation Vi-

sion with Objectives and Accountability or

Meeting Perormance argets.

Restructure Federal ransportation Programs

and Funding to Support the New National

ransportation Vision and Objectives.

Reorm ransportation Agencies and the

Decision-making Process.

Revise ransportation Finance So We Can

Pay or Needed Investments.

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dv a New NationalTransportation Visionwith Objectives andAccountability for Meeting

Performance TargetsTe next ederal surace transportation bill should

articulate a clear and compelling national vision

with specic goals or implementation that will

build and maintain a comprehensive National

ransportation System. Tis system will be

essential or helping us respond tothe myriad

challenges acing our nation today, including the

economy, energy, public health, the environment,

an aging population, and equal access and air

treatment or all communities and transportation

users.

America in the 21st century needs a complete Na-

tional ransportation System that includes sae,

well-maintained, and ecient highway, rail and

public transportation systems, as well as bicyclingand pedestrian networks. 4 America calls on

Congress to clearlydene the national interest

and purpose o the ederal transportation pro-

gram by adopting and implementing the ollow-

ing set o National ransportation Objectives:

Improve Economic1.

Competitiveness, ransportation

System Eciency and WorkorceDevelopment Opportunities

Improve ransportation System2.

Conditions and Connectivity

Promote Energy Eciency and3.

Achieve Energy Security

Ensure Environmental4.

Protection, Restore Climate

Stability and Resolve Persistent

Environmental Justice Issues

Ensure Saety or All5.

ransportation Users and

Improve Public Health

Outcomes

Provide Equal and Equitable6.

Access to ransportation

Options in Urban, Suburban and

Rural Communities

Te next ederal surace transportation bill should

hold state and local transportation agencies ac-

countable or meeting the transportation needs

o an increasingly diverse America and should

ocus on the needs o both our major metropoli-

tan areas and our small towns and rural regions.

In order to do so, the ederal government should

establish perormance targets that correspond

to the National ransportation Objectives, alongwith signicant oversight measures, while look-

ing to states and regions to develop the plans or

achieving these outcomes within ederal guide-

lines.

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Objectives

National Transportation

Objectives & Targets

Performance Targets

Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled by 16%

Triple walking, biking and public

transportation usage

Reduce transportation-generated

carbon dioxide levels by 40%

Reduce delay per capita by 10%

Increase proportion of freight transportation

provided by railroad and intermodal services

by 20%

Achieve zero percent population exposure

to at-risk levels of air pollution

Improve public safety and lower congestion

costs by reducing traffic crashes by 50%

Increase share of major highways, regional transitfleets and facilities, and bicycling/pedestrian

infrastructure in good state of condition by 20%

Reduce average household combined housing +

transportation costs 25% (use 2000 as base year)

Increase by 50% essential destinations accessible

within 30 min. by public transit, or 15 min. walk for

low-income, senior and disabled populations

2010-2030

Improve Economic Competitiveness,Transportation System Efficiency and Workforce

Development Opportunities

Improve Transportation System Conditions and

Connectivity

Promote Energy Efficiency and Achieve Energy

Security

Ensure Environmental Protection, Restore Climate

Stability and Resolve Persistent Environmental

Justice Issues

Ensure Safety for All Transportation Users and

Improve Public Health Outcomes

Provide Equal and Equitable Access to

Transportation Options in Urban, Suburban and

Rural Communities

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rc FederalTransportation Programs toSupport the New NationalTransportation Vision and

Objectiveso achieve our national goals, 4 America calls

on Congress to restructure and consolidate,

ederal programs away rom single-mode silos

towards greater integration, and provide the tools

or states, regions and localities to develop solu-

tions.

A core set oNational Priority Programs should

be established or:

Outcome-Based Planning;

System Preservation and Renewal;

Access, Independence and Mobility Manage-

ment or Seniors, Disabled and Low-Income

Families;

ransportation Saety; and,

Energy Security or Clean Communities.

Te next bill should include a set o multimodal

programs, geographically tailoredto meet

mobility needs at the inter-regional, metropolitan,

small town and rura l levels to support highways,

passenger and reight rail, public transportation

and bicycle and pedestrian projects. It should

also provide cities with direct unding or project

implementation and provide new operating und-

ing or public transportation agencies.

Te programs established in the next transporta-

tion bill should help us complete our national

transportation system, with particular ocus on

expanding transportation options. ransportation

or America supports programs that will build a

modern, intercity passenger rail network, greenour reight transport systems and our ports, and

expand high-quality public transportation and

bicycling and pedestrian networks within metro-

politan areas. Te goal o our investment program

must be a nationally interconnected system o

roads, rail, public transportation, pedestrian, and

bicycling acilities.

Finally, a set oInnovation Programs should be

created to spur states and communities to ad-

vance state-o-the-art transportation policies into

state-o-the-practice. Strategies could include in-

creasing research and development o new system

management technologies, pursuing innovative

least-cost projects, and implementing policies that

anticipate uture needs and demands.

r TransportationAgencies and the Decision-making Process

When the United States Congress passed the

National Interstate Highways and Deense Act

o 1956, it empowered the states to construct the

41,000-mile system o superhighways to connectthe nation. Fity years later, with most Americans

living in metropolitan areas, our primary chal-

lenge is mobility within cities and their suburbs,

rather than between regions. Americas metropoli-

tan regions ace complex challenges that demand

new approaches and more responsive institutions.

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4 America believes that, along with greater ac-

countability, there must also be more local voices

and local control in the transportation decision-

making process.

4 America proposes empowering regions to

shape their uture by giving them more direct

unding and decision-making authority, while

holding them accountable or results. Te 4

America platorm also calls or new approaches

and practices such as complete streets policies

that are designed to meet the needs o all us-

ers; the adoption o fexible design and mobility

guidelines that emphasize cost-eectiveness; a

new stormwater policy standard to reduce water

pollution rom ederally unded roadways; new

incentives or aordable housing near public

transportation; and local hiring and workorce

development provisions to boost green jobs na-

tionwide.

At the same time, the ederal program must

acknowledge the powerul, inevitable interaction

between transportation investments and local

growth and development, as well as the proound

impact that development patterns have on the na-

tions economic, environmental and energy goals.


Priority Programs

Planning and Research

Transportation System Preservation and Renewal

State of Good Highway, Road, Trails, and

Bridge Repair

Access, Independence and Mobility Management

Transportation Safety

Energy Security for Clean Communities

State of Good Transit Repair

Programs to Complete the National

Transportation System

Intercity Passenger Transportation Program

Green Freight and Ports

Major Transit Capital Projects

Projects of National Significance

Geographically-Tiered Multimodal

Access Program

Statewide Multimodal Access Program

Metropolitan Multimodal Access Program

Local Multimodal Access Program for Cities and

Rural Regions

Innovation Incentive Programs

Sustainability Challenge Grants

Smart Communities Program

Active Transportation

Proposed Federal

Transportation Structure

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4 America proposes a newBlueprint Program

that would empower major metropolitan areas

with direct transportation unding and greater

authority to select projects, in return or progress

toward meeting national objectives. In addition,

we recommend that state Departments o rans-portation (DOs) be required to develop state-

wide blueprints, in partnership with smaller Met-

ropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), cities,

and rural planning districts, that demonstrate

how transportation investments across the state

advance community goals and national transpor-

tation objectives. Once certied, state blueprints

would provide the ramework or state DOs to

lead on intercity and interstate investments, and

also serve as the ramework or investment deci-

sions o unds sub-allocated to smaller MPOs,

cities and rural planning districts. Te Blueprint

process also creates the ramework to speed proj-

ect selection and delivery by completing analysis

o a comprehensive package o investments on the

ront-end.

rv TransportationFinance So We CanPay for NeededInvestments

In the summer o 2008, Congress had to patch

the highway trust und with an $8 billion inu-

sion rom the general und. A similar x may beneeded again this summer. Te nation needs to

develop a sustainable method o raising revenue

or ederal transportation programs. Increased

revenues or transportation are needed, and

4 America is prepared to support a near-

doubling o the current ederal investment to

roughly $500 billion over the next six years.

However, neither we nor the American public

will support this increase unless it is linked to

real reorm and can produce the sort o results

outlined in this proposal.

4 America believes the nation must diversiy the

unding sources or transportation and engage

in an aggressive eort to spur innovation and

develop new revenue strategies. Existing revenue

projections or both the short and long term,

coupled with growing needs or maintenance and

construction, are clearly outstripping the capacity

o the motor uel tax. In the short run, it may be

necessary to raise the ederal gas tax, or to index

it to infation, in preparation or a transition to a

tax based on vehicle miles traveled. Tis proposal

includes options or other innovative nance

mechanisms such as congestion pricing to pay or

travel options in a given corridor, a National In-

rastructure Bank, and a per-barrel surcharge on

oil. 4 America proposes three distinct revenue

alternatives that each would generate over $500billion or the next six-year authorization period.

As new revenue sources are developed, 4

America urges Congress to reorm the program

to create a Unied ransportation rust Fund

that would allow greater integration o surace

transportation systems and help to balance alloca-

tions o ederal dollars in a broader portolio o

investments in rail, reight, highways, bus, and

non-motorized transportation.

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ransportation policy is perhaps our most impor-

tant tool or making the nations economy more

globally competitive, or improving the health

and quality o lie or households and individuals,

and or increasing personal economic opportunity

the oundation o Americas economic vitality

and strength. ransportation networks are unda-

mental to how we grow, develop and prosper.

Over the years, the ederal program has presented

the equivalent o a blank check to the states,

who were guaranteed a certain amount o und-

ing regardless o how well or poorly they spent

it, or how inclusive or air their decision-making

processes were. One clear, practical result o thispolicy vacuum is states oten have avored build-

ing new acilities over maintaining and preserving

the existing system.

Context for Reform

Te original promise o the 1991 transporta-

tion reauthorization bill, the Intermodal Surace

ransportation Eciency Act o 1991 (ISEA),

was to provide new fexibility to move beyond the

traditional boundaries o a highway bill to create

a truly multi-modal system. Unortunately, this

promise was never realized because the fexibility

was rarely used, and uture bills included new

programs to try and ensure that certain under-

invested transportation needs were addressed.

Reorming the ederal program could take two

possible routes: (1) mandating the desired modaloutcomes without aording extensive fexibility,

or (2) establishing a comprehensive set o per-

ormance goals that could be achieved through

fexing unds to develop integrated solutions. 4

America recommends the latter, with the recog-

nition that fexibility without clear perormance

targets and strong measures or accountability

will ultimately ail to create and maintain a com-

prehensive national system that meets the myriad

challenges acing our nation.

Te current ederal transportation program must

be guided by a clear and compelling national

purpose and give guidance to the many govern-

ment and private institutions making decisions

about transportation at the state and local level.

While our current system has certain metricsor examining perormance, it is clear that these

measures o success are inadequate. ransporta-

tion programs and investment decisions ocus on

the physical condition o acilities (i.e. pavement

condition, age o bridges) and relative cost-eec-

tiveness o capacity alternatives with little ederal

oversight or reporting ocused on how money has

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been spent and how quickly. While the physical

condition o the system is an important consid-

eration, other actors must also be monitored

to help us evaluate whether, as a nation, we are

getting our value out o transportation invest-

ments. Similarly, there are insucient provisionsin national transportation programs to promote

accountability in decision-making processes tied

to broader economic, social and environmental

outcomes.

Tereore, this proposal provides a ramework to

bring greater ocus and discipline to the decision

making process to better ensure that transporta-

tion investments result in a stronger economy,

more energy eciency, healthier citizens, im-

proved access and mobility or all users, and

improved air and water quality.

Elements of Reform:Making the FederalProgram Goal Oriented andAccountable for AchievingResults

Te 4 America Blueprint includes strong, work-

able recommendations or improved accountabil-

ity, transparency and measurement o progress in

the perormance, maintenance, and accessibility

o the national surace transportation system.

Accountability is paramount in evaluating any

potential use o public unds and assets. Unortu-

nately, today state DOs apply the great major-

ity o ederal unds without ederal regulatory

standards, little ederal approval, and virtually no

ollow up or on-site audits to ensure the value o

the investments.

In developing this proposal, 4 America con-

sulted a range o experts and resources on per-

ormance and accountability and sought input

rom numerous transportation hpractitioners

and users. We believe the ollowing principles are

undamental to establishing a goal-oriented andaccountable ederal transportation program:

Te ederal program must establish and pri-

oritize national transportation outcomes that

articulate what the nation wants the ederal

transportation investments to achieve.

Te ederal program must set national trans-

portation perormance targets and methods

to assess progress including appropriate

oversight and checks on abuses to ensure ac-

countability in the targeting and application

o unding by all levels o government.

Issues related to perormance measurement

and data collection must be understood and

resolved, with guidance and technical assis-

tance provided by the ederal government to

assist in the development and monitoring o

progress towards achievement o perormance

measures.

Any ramework or establishing goals and

accountability must be integrated into both

the ederal legislation and transportation

decision-making processes.

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Establish nationaltransportation objectivesand identify methods toassess progress towardstheir achievement

4 America proposes the ollowing list o Na-

tional ransportation Objectives to establish

clear goals and clariy the purpose o the ederal

transportation program.

Improve Economic Competitiveness, rans-

portation System Eciency and Workorce


Improve ransportation System Conditions

and Connectivity

Promote Energy Eciency and Achieved

Energy Security

Ensure Environmental Protection, Restore

Climate Stability and Resolve Persistent En-

vironmental Justice Issues

Ensure Saety or All ransportation Users

and Improve Public Health Outcomes

Provide Equal and Equitable Access to rans-

portation Options in Urban, Suburban and

Rural Communities

A ocus on accountability and perormance

generates mechanisms or reaching transportation

goals, but it is not a prescription or what type o

activities should be undertaken at the state and

local level. Accountability and perormance mea-

sures should underpin the unding decisions to

ensure ederal assistance is provided to plans, pro-

grams and projects that support progress towards

regional, state, and national objectives.

o ensure accountability towards meeting each

National ransportation Objective, 4 America

recommends a set o National ransportationPerormance argets be established in the next

bill. In identiying these perormance targets, 4

America considered the ollowing:

Te list o National ransportation Per-

ormance argets should be succinct and

directly tied to specic National ransporta-

tion Objectives.

Te National ransportation Perormance

argets should be powerul drivers o change

and evaluated as a package o targets. No sin-

gle measure can ully assess progress toward

a particular national goal, as all the National

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ransportation Objectives are complex and

depend on many variables that can be evalu-

ated in dierent ways.

Te National ransportation Perormance

argets should include measures that can

demonstrate progress toward multiple

National ransportation Objectives so the

advancement o one target could also advance

other aspects o the transportation system.

All the National ransportation Perormance

argets recommended should be able to meet

the ollowing criteria:

Data can be secured to measure thetarget, or reasonable proxies can be

identied, preerably using existing data

systems.

Measurable targets can be set.

Each target can be incorporated into a

system o accountability.

Each target respects dierences betweenareas o the country and can be tai lored

to specic states or regions.

argets or achievement o National ransporta-

tion Perormance argets have been set at 20

years, which is consistent with typical transpor-

tation planning horizons. A period o time or

developing measurement systems is likely needed

to nalize and incorporate National ransporta-

tion Perormance argets into regional and state

long-range plans.

Tere are other types and levels o perormance

measurement that should be an integral part

o transportation management and decision-

making. In act, perormance measures that

are tailored to transit agencies or state DOs to

improve delivery o service, operational ecien-

cies, and feet management should be encouraged

in national transportation policy and guidance.

Specic recommendations or National ranspor-tation Perormance argets are described in more

detail in Appendix A, including the supporting

rationale or the inclusion o each measure and

the selected target.

Performance measurementdata collection

wo data issues were key in selecting national

transportation objectives and the accompanying

perormance targets: (1) data availability, includ-

ing the reliability o existing data sets, the cost o

collection, variation among states and metropoli-

tan planning organizations (MPOs) in collection

accuracy, completeness, uniormity, timeliness,

capacity, resources, and the level o need to invest

in new data collection systems; and, (2) sub-national goal setting. Te U.S. Department o

ransportation (US DO), the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department o

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should

be engaged to establish state and regional goals

and provide technical assistance and guidance.

Tis Blueprint largely supports the inclusion oper capita goals embedded in some o the recom-

mended measures to acilitate the apportionment

process or ormula unding. More analysis would

need to be done in the early years ater new legis-

lation to rene or develop measurement tools and

methodologies. Federal agencies should also be

engaged in developing protocol and oversight to

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Objectives


Objectives & Targets

Improve Economic Competitiveness,Transportation System Efficiency and Workforce


Improve Transportation System Conditions and

Connectivity

Promote Energy Efficiency and Achieve Energy

Security

Ensure Environmental Protection, Restore Climate

Stability and Resolve Persistent Environmental

Justice Issues

Ensure Safety for All Transportation Users and

Improve Public Health Outcomes

Provide Equal and Equitable Access to

Transportation Options in Urban, Suburban and

Rural Communities

Performance Targets

Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled by 16%

Triple walking, biking and public

transportation usage

Reduce transportation-generated

carbon dioxide levels by 40%

Reduce delay per capita by 10%

Increase proportion of freight transportation

provided by railroad and intermodal services

by 20%

Achieve zero percent population exposure

to at-risk levels of air pollution

Improve public safety and lower congestion

costs by reducing traffic crashes by 50%

Increase share of major highways, regional transitfleets and facilities, and bicycling/pedestrian

infrastructure in good state of condition by 20%

Reduce average household combined housing +

transportation costs 25% (use 2000 as base year)

Increase by 50% essential destinations accessible

within 30 min. by public transit, or 15 min. walk for

low-income, senior and disabled populations

2010-2030

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ensure that projected or orecast perormance is

achieved, while assisting states and regions in ur-

ther rening their models and orecast methods.

US DO should play a critical management role

in supporting the research and updated modelingthat will be required to dene appropriate nation-

al transportation targets by providing guidance to

states and metropolitan areas and implementing

new perormance strategies. US DO must also

ensure that standards are consistent across the

country and that reporting is done in a transpar-

ent way to allow the public and policy makers to

analyze results.

Both incentives and sanctions should be embed-

ded in the new legislation to ensure continued

progress toward these targets. Under such a

program, states and regions that meet or exceed

the targets would gain access to incentive unds

set aside or that purpose. Conversely, ailure to

meet targets could result in reduced fexibility

or states, through the targeting o ederal equitybonus unds to program areas where targets are

not being met. In addition, contingency measures

should be included in all state and metropolitan

transportation plans.

Reform long-rangetransportation planning

to advance accountabilitymeasurement

Federal transportation legislation requires sca lly

constrained, long-range transportation plans by

every state DO and MPO as a condition o

receiving ederal unding. Tese plans should

be the tool or demonstrating how a program o

long-term (20-year) transportation investments,

transportation demand management strategies,

system eciencies and operations, and land use

strategies at the state and metropolitan levels

will collectively meet National ransportationPerormance argets and advance the National

ransportation Objectives. However, signicant

reorm and improvement o these long-range

plans is needed.

ransportation planning and unding decisions

should be integrated into other planning process-

es to create complete and healthy communities

or all residents. Greater attention should be given

in the long-range transportation planning process

to the mobility and access needs o low- and

moderate-income and vulnerable populations,

including seniors, to support healthy individuals

and communities in support o broader economic

opportunity goals.

4 America suggests state and metropolitan long-range transportation plans be replaced by State-

wide and Regional Blueprints. Federal approval

o the plans would be based on compliance with

National ransportation Perormance argets,

and project selection and unding authority

would be provided directly to implement certi-

ed Blueprints. We believe that this reormed

long-range comprehensive plan would provide

greater accountability and an improved means

or ederal oversight through improved reporting

on measures o eectiveness. Tis specic Blue-

print recommendation is described in more detail

herein and in Appendix B.

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p

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V

objcv

In order to develop a comprehensive national

transportation system that grows the economy,

improves energy security, protects the environ-

ment and addresses social equity concerns, we

must enact a major restructuring o our existing

ederal transportation policies and programs. Te

U.S. Department o ransportation (US DO)

currently includes over 108 separate undingprograms. Many o these programs are outdated,

while others are redundant, housed in separate

agencies with little coordination between them.

Tese programs also tend to be prescriptive,

rather than perormance based.

In December 2007, the National Surace rans-

portation Policy and Revenue Study Commission

released its long-awaited report, Transportation

for Tomorrow, calling or consolidation o our

surace transportation system into 12 multi-

modal programs ocused on achieving a set o

clear outcomes.1 Te emerging consensus among

transportation practitioners and policy-makers

is that greater system eciency is achievable

through ewer programs based on transportation

mode, and placing a greater emphasis on setting

national goals and priorities. Tis understandingis refected in the National ransportation Objec-

tives and National ransportation Perormance

argets included in this proposal. 4 Americas

restructuring recommendations are designed

to produce a goal-driven ederal program that

includes the accountability measures neces-

sary to achieve results.At the same time, we

recognize that we are not starting rom scratch,

and our recommendations build practically rom

existing rameworks and institutions.

Principles to GuideProgram Reform

Invest to complete and1.maintain the National


Te upcoming transportation authorization must

set us on a course to identiy and build a network

o public transportation, walking and biking in-

rastructure by 2030 to complement and interace

with the completed National Highway System.

We must make the preservation and maintenance

o existing transportation assets a top priority,

and ensure that unds that are supposed to be

used or maintenance cannot be easily fexed

or other spending programs. Te bill should lay

the groundwork or a world-class inter-regional,

1 Report of the National Surface Transportation Policyand Revenue Study Commission, Transportation forTomorrow. Washington, DC: December 2007.

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seamless passenger air-rail system by 2030, and

ensure that reight transportation by truck is

not heavily concentrated in corridors that result

in concentrated emissions and produce adverse

saety and inrastructure impacts in specic

regions o the country. Using this newly balancedtransportation policy, the ederal government

should give regions and communities a greater

role in determining what types o investments are

appropriate by allowing or direct unding with

appropriate oversight and reporting.

Create a level2.transportation investment

playing eld

Federal policies should end or minimize pro-

grammatic silos and ensure that all programs are

multi-modal in nature. In order to end existing

inequities between dierent modes and stream-

line the project selection process, the new legis-

lation should simpliy administration o unds

and provide parity in the obligation process,

match ratios, accountability measures and project

delivery systems between modes. Simply put, the

current process or unding new transit capac-

ity has become so onerous as to discourage some

applicants while very little perormance review is

required or new highway capacity. Tis inequity

must be addressed, with an improved and compa-

rable project delivery process or all new capacity

regardless o mode or sponsor agency.

Te next bill should establish a complete streets

policy requiring that all road projects that utilize

ederal unds include appropriate provisions to

accommodate bicyclists, people with disabilities

and public transportation vehicles and riders, and

pedestrians o all ages and abilities. Likewise, it

should require all public transportation station

and bus stop construction and reconstruction

projects to include appropriate provisions to ac-

commodate bicyclists, people with disabilities,

and pedestrians o all ages and abilities to ensureseamless and sae connection between dierent

modes.

Reward leveraging3.of collateral benetsto address multiplecommunity and nationalgoals

Te ederal government should adopt policies to

assist communities developing projects and plans

to achieve both local goals and National rans-

portation Objectives. For example, the transpor-

tation bill should oer incentives that encourage

more compact, less automobile-dependent land

use patterns that help reduce energy use, while

expanding aordable housing options in acces-

sible locations, improving access to goods and

services, and stimulating economic development.

It should prioritize spending on projects that pro-

mote health; improve energy eciency, connect

low-income residents to economic opportunity

and essential goods and services; and, improve

saety o our transportation system or people o

all ages and abilities. Additionally, the ederal

program should encourage states and localitiesto adopt least-cost design solutions (sometimes

called context sensitive design solutions) or

new capacity or reconstruction projects regardless

o mode.

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Empower regions and4.cities in the planningprocess

Previous transportation bills provided fexibility

or transerring unds and suballocating dollars

to cities and regions, but lacked ederal direction

on what kind o national objectives should be

promoted through these investments. Local and

regional empowerment has been stunted in most

states due to the lack o authority at the regional

or local levels in the project selection process and

absence o direct unding allocation decision-

making.

Directly fund local project5.implementation

A revised program and unding structure should

be created that empowers jurisdictions to receive

grant unds directly rom US DO or road and

bridge projects, as they are currently able to do

under the transit program. Te result would be

a more integrated multi-modal structure on the

local level, a commitment to ederal priorities

through closer contact with the Federal High-

way Administration (FHWA), and aster project

turnaround. Local projects would still be part o

the metropolitan planning program, and recipi-

ents would be required to demonstrate that they

have the administrative and engineering capacityto maintain regulatory and design standards on

their projects.

Retool our federal6.programs

Federal transportation programs must be ad-

justed to be more nimble at unding multiple

modes, support more integrated design o a-cilities, and respond more to geographic than

modal dierences. Te ederal role in research

and technical assistance should be elevated and

adequately unded. Federal policy should ocus

on articulating desired national outcomes tied to

ederal unding, providing guidance and techni-

cal resources to help states, regions and localities

implement solutions to achieve these goals, and

ensuring transparent accountability measures are

in place and maintained.

Blueprint for aRestructured, PerformanceBased FederalTransportation Program

for a 21st Century Americaand Economy

What we need, then, is a smart transporta-

tion system equal to the needs of the 21st

Century. A system that reduces travel

times and increases mobility. A system that

reduces congestion and boosts productivity.

A system that reduces destructive emis-sions and creates jobs. President Barack

Obama, April 17, 2009

4 America believes that the role o the ederal

government is to acilitate the construction,

operation, management and preservation o a

National ransportation System. Te ederal

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program has been eective in building the Na-

tional Highway System (inclusive o the Interstate

System) but has taken only altering steps toward

managing and preserving that highway system

or long-range strategic purposes, and even ewer

steps toward construction o the intra- andinter-city public transportation system and key

elements o bicycle and pedestrian systems. Our

current ederal surace transportation program

structure is simply not up to this task.

oday, America needs a comprehensive national

transportation system that provides sae, reliable,

and convenient travel options to Americans in

every part o the country and o every economic

background. We need a national transportation

system that can move reight in a predictable and

ecient manner, with minimal impact to the en-

vironment or public health, and we need a system

that will help our metropolitan regions perorm

on par with our global competitors. Building and

maintaining this system will create millions o

good-paying green jobs and help rebuild oureconomy.

Te proposed program structure is designed to

prioritize unds or achieving National rans-

portation Objectives. Furthermore, the set

o programs are a guideline or building and

maintaining a National ransportation System

that recognizes the dierences between regions,

the economic importance o our metropolitan

areas, the critical role states play in intercity and

interstate transportation, and the unique needs

o rural communities. It seeks to consolidate and

elevate a set o core transportation programs to

support the National ransportation Objectives;

proposes to consolidate a number o current pro-

grams to create a new geographically-tiered multi-

modal access program to meet mobility needs at

the interregional, metropolitan, small town and

rural levels; creates a set o new capacity programs

that include comparable project development,

review and unding processes; and recommends aset o discretionary innovation programs.

National TransportationPriority Programs

Te recommended set o National ransporta-

tion Priority Programs has a signicant impact on

the overall eectiveness o the National rans-portation System and correlate closely with the

proposed National ransportation Objectives.

Recognizing the magnitude o the importance

and size o these programs, 4 America recom-

mends that unding or them be distributed by

ormula.

ransportation agencies that make progress

towards meeting the goals and National rans-portation Objectives should be rewarded with a

higher ederal match and better access to discre-

tionary/incentive programs.2 Agencies that are

not making progress towards the goals should

be directed to target their equity bonus unds

towards areas o deciency. Te ve proposed

national priority programs have been developed

to help advance particular National ransporta-tion Objectives, but these programs are addition-

ally critical in our goal o building a maintaining

a comprehensive National ransportation System.

2 Specic recommendations for reforming program fund-ing formulas are not included in this proposal, but T4America supports efforts to apportion funds based onprogram goals, population density, economic activity,system need, and other relevant factors.

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For instance, investments to preserve and repair

a decient bridge may also help to improve saetyon that roadway, and could include complete

street design principles that encourage saer

walking and bicycling paths. Tese programs are

brought together and integrated by the Blueprint

plans. It is important to have separate programs

to ensure sucient attention to and progress

towards these goals, but we must also recognize

that the interactions between programs is to be

encouraged and supported.

Planning and Research1.

Priority Program

ransitioning the National ransportation

System to a set o programs with greater account-

ability perormance measures will necessitate

new types o research and data, education or

practitioners and decision-makers, and technical

assistance or agencies and communities adopting

new approaches.

Current mode-specic research, data and educa-

tion programs should be combined into a single

unit within U.S. Department o ransporta-

tion (US DO), U.S. Environmental Protec-

tion Agency (EPA), U.S. Department o Energy

(DOE), and U.S. Oce o Housing and Urban


Priority Programs

Planning and Research

Transportation System Preservation and Renewal

State of Good Highway, Road, Trails, and

Bridge Repair

Access, Independence and Mobility Management

Transportation Safety

Energy Security for Clean Communities

State of Good Transit Repair

Programs to Complete the National


Intercity Passenger Transportation Program

Green Freight and Ports

Major Transit Capital Projects

Projects of National Significance

Geographically-Tiered MultimodalAccess Program

Statewide Multimodal Access Program

Metropolitan Multimodal Access Program

Local Multimodal Access Program for Cities and

Rural Regions

Innovation Incentive Programs

Sustainability Challenge Grants

Smart Communities Program

Active Transportation

Proposed Federal

Transportation Structure

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Development (HUD). Other relevant ederal

agencies should also be engaged to develop state-

o-the art modeling and technical assistance or

states, regions and local jurisdictions.

US DO needs to assist states and metropolitanareas in developing truly integrated transporta-

tion, land use and economic development plans

to accommodate projected growth levels over the

next several decades. First and oremost, a major

overhaul is needed in how the ederal government

collects, assembles and provides data and inor-

mation. 4 America joins the Brookings Institu-

tion and other organizations in call ing or greater

unding, guidance and technical assistance to

help states, MPOs, and localities plan, monitor

perormance and deploy state-o the art modeling

and orecasting tools.

Te upcoming ederal transportation bill must

require data collection o comparable requency

and scope or all modes o transportation, includ-

ing bicycling and walking, and must require USDO to create a ramework to ensure the trans-

parency and accessibility o data and inorma-

tion. State and metropolitan entities should, at

a minimum, disclose their spending patterns by

political jurisdiction and origins o revenue used,

especially ederal dollars, so that the public can

better evaluate the spatial equity o transporta-

tion spending in accordance with broad goals and

perormance measures.3

3 Recommendation originally put forth in A Bridge toSomewhere: Rethinking American Transportation forthe 21st Century by the Brookings Institution, 2008.

Federal unding or metropolitan planning

should be maintained, and new planning resourc-

es provided to support a substantially reormed

long-range transportation planning process called

or by 4 AmericaBlueprint Planningand

also provide unds to local communities to un-dertake community planning and reward trans-

portation-supportive land use measures.

Blueprint Planning for2.Major MetropolitanRegions and States

4 America strongly recommends thatstates and

metropolitan regions over one million in popula-tion be required to develop and adopt an inte-

grated, perormance-based Blueprint or land use

and transportation plans.

Te Blueprint plan should cover a 20-year time-

rame and demonstrate how proposed transporta-

tion investments and system operations and man-

agement will coordinate with land use strategies

to achieve timely and reasonable progress towards

meeting National ransportation Perormance

argets. Blueprint plans should be developed in

close coordination with other regional and state

agencies to address long-range energy security,

environmental, housing, economic development,

public health, saety and human service goals.

Strong public involvement and accountability in

the development o Blueprint plans is essential.In particular, participation o people o low and

moderate incomes, seniors, people with disabili-

ties and minority communities should be engaged

at all stages o the planning process. Strategies

should be developed to engage the business com-

munity, particularly the development and reight

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interests two sectors which are prooundly

impacted by transportation investments and in

return infuence regional economic development

and the workorce. Tese Blueprint plans must be

driven by eective strategies to achieve outcomes

and not devolve into a wish list o projects.

Appendix B describes in more detail the objec-

tives and process or developing Blueprints. Blue-

prints will be approved by the states governor and

certied by US DO and the EPA, and reviewed

or comment by HUD and U.S. Department

o Health o Human Services. Upon approval,

Blueprint regions and state DOs will be

granted direct project selection and contract

authority o ederal transportation ormula

dollars to help accelerate project delivery.

Smaller regions (those under one million in size)

can elect to opt-in to this program, thereby ac-

cessing direct project selection authority with the

certication o an approved Regional Blueprint

plan.

State Blueprint plans would include certied

Regional Blueprints and ransportation Improve-

ment Plans (IPs), projects submitted by rural

planning authorities, tribal authorities, intercity

trails, reight, passenger or high-speed rai l invest-

ments, and other major inrastructure invest-

ments identied through state planning process.

Both State and Regional Blueprints must consider

the broad spectrum o community viewpoints,

the collaborative participation o local communi-

ties and transportation agencies, and the mean-

ingul involvement o the public. In developing

the Blueprints, states and metropolitan areas

should accept input rom all constituencies to

ensure investments are equitably distributed to

population and employment density areas while

addressing the needs o small towns and rural

areas.

Transportation System3.Preservation and RenewalPriority Program

4 America believes that a top national transpor-

tation priority should be to adequately und the

repair and rehabilitation o the existing transpor-

tation system. Several major reports have shown

that current unding levels are not adequate

or even maintaining current conditions, much

less addressing uture capacity needs. US DOshould undertake a comprehensive asset inventory

study o the needs and investment requirements

o the nations highway, bridge, bus, rail, and

non-motorized transportation systems includ-

ing a cataloging o the nations bike and trail net-

work that would identiy gaps in the system. US

DO and state DOs should support research to

advance an asset management approach to system

preservation and evaluate the use o technologi-

cal solutions to determining more comprehensive

and standardized denitions o good repair and

investment requirements.

Current repair and rehabilitation programs do

not require a substantial overhaul. Nevertheless,

Congress should ensure that adequate unding

levels are available, and should rewall theseunds so they cannot be fexed into other spend-

ing areas without certication that existing inra-

structure is in a state o good repair. Appendix C

provides urther detail on the eligible activities 4

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America proposes be unded under the ranspor-

tation System Preservation and Renewal Priority

Program.

State of Good Highway,A.Road, Trails, and Bridge

Repair

Our nations highways, roads, streets and bridges

are in critical need o repair and rehabilitation.

According to the February 2009 Final Report

rom National Surace ransportation Inrastruc-

ture Financing Commission, almost $79 billion

per year is needed to keep Americas transpor-

tation inrastructure in a state o good repair.While many states have not made repair and

rehabilitation a top spending priority, chronic un-

derunding o transportation programs have also

negatively infuenced the condition and saety o

our highway system.

By 2025, one in our drivers will be age 65 or

older a demographic shit that demonstrates

the need to adjust our nations roadways andinvest in special repair and rehabilitation needs.

Road repair and rehabilitation should incorporate

design improvements that make roads saer or

older individuals and all road users. In the repair

and rehabilitation o transportation acilities,

priority should be placed on utilizing sustainable

development design and construction materials

to promote energy eciency and reduce negativeenvironmental impacts.

In the next surace transportation bill, a category

o unds should be strictly dedicated to repair

and rehabilitation. Te existing Interstate Main-

tenance and Bridge Repair and Replacement

programs should be converted to a signicantly

enlarged program to repair, rehab and retrot

all decient bridges, highways, roads, and trails

and associated equipment signal systems,

structures, etc. in the National ransportation

System. Given the extensive backlog o structur-

ally decient bridges, special consideration should

be given to these projects. Te extensive need

or highway and bridge repair and rehabilitation

projects should be treated as an opportunity,

where easible, to provide and improve oten

decient road access or bicycles, pedestrians,

people with disabilities, and public transportation

vehicles and riders. At the same time, some o our

bicycling and pedestrian inrastructure is also

beginning to show its age and should be incorpo-

rated into the eort to maintain the previous vedecades o ederal transportation investment.

Complete Streets Policy

In the rehabilitation o highway, bridge and

transit acilities, 4 America recommends that

the principles o complete streets and practical

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design solutions be incorporated to ensure that

our transportation system meets the saety and

mobility needs o al l users. Te streets o our

cities and towns should be designed or every-

one, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist,

walker or wheelchair user. Complete streets aredesigned and operated to enable sae access or all

these users.

A national complete streets policy will require

all recipients o ederal unds to include all users,

including transit vehicles and users, bicyclists,

and pedestrians in the design and construction o

public roads when appropriate. Construction or

reconstruction o transit stations should include

accommodations or pedestrians and cyclists, cre-

ate ederal standards that set minimum require-

ments or national complete streets policies, and

adopt enorcement mechanisms to hold states and

localities accountable.

State of Good TransitB.Repair

Americans are riding public transportation at the

highest levels in 50 years, and transit systems

some built over 100 years ago are being pushed

to perorm at ever-increasing capacity. Yet many

systems, strapped or unding, have signicant

deerred maintenance needs that are aecting

reliability, saety and security. A 2009 Federal

ransit Administration analysis o nationaltransit data ound more than one-third o the

trains, equipment, and acilities o the nations

seven largest rail transit agencies are near the end

o their useul lie or past that point. Te report

noted that while many public transportation

systems have components that are deective or

may be critically damaged, it will cost $50 billion

to bring the rail systems in Chicago, Boston, New

York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Philadelphia

and Washington, D.C., into good repair and $5.9

billion a year to maintain them. Tose seven sys-

tems carry 80 percent o the nations rail transitpassengers, making more than 3 billion passenger

trips a year.4

Signicant unding is needed to maintain,

modernize and make green our existing public

transportation investments. Keeping the nations

bus and rail systems in a state o good repair is

essential i public transportation systems are

to provide sae and reliable service to millions

o daily riders. Investments to maintain a state

o good repair or public transportation should

include the purchasing o new vehicles, basic

maintenance, and asset management practices,

such as preventive maintenance. Retrotting pub-

lic transportation vehicles and acilities to support

access and mobility needs o seniors and persons

with disabilities is also crucially important.

Provide Federal incentives for state andlocal funding commitment to publictransportation

Sustainable public transportation operating as-

sistance at all levels o government is critical to

ensuring that our transit systems are able to meet

the service needs or those who depend on transitand or those who choose to ride public transpor-

tation. Te current ederal program limits transit

operating assistance to those communities under

200,000 in population. 4 America recommends

4 Federal Transit Administration, Report to Congress.Rail Modernization Study. April, 2009.

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that this threshold be removed, and that transit

agencies o all sizes be allowed to use transit or-

mula unds or operating assistance. We support

a change in ederal operating assistance policy to

allow local communities to decide whether or not

they want to access ederal operating unds.

4 America recommends an additional ederal

matching incentive program or operating as-

sistance that would help encourage states, regions

and local governments to assume the primary

responsibility or sustainable transit operating

unds. We propose a new ederal match program

that would be available to transit providers con-

ditioned on action at the state, regional or local

level to provide dedicated and/or increased transit

operating assistance. We believe that such a pro-

gram could also be structured to provide incen-

tives or transit agencies to implement aggressive

energy eciency strategies as well in return or

ederal operating support. 4 America is working

with coalition partners to develop more specic

recommendations on how a ederal role in operat-ing assistance can be achieved to help communi-

ties meet the critical transit service needs, while

also ensuring incentives or state and local com-

mitments. Given the need to improve our nations

energy security and ensure equitable access, we

must nd solutions or all levels o government

to work in partnership to provide aordable and

available transit service.

Access, Independence4.and Mobility ManagementPriority Program

4 America believes that a transportation sys-

tem that does not serve the needs o all citizensis inadequate. A national survey conducted in

November, 2005, ound 82 percent o Americans

age 65 or older worry that they will be stranded

and unable to get around when they can no lon-

ger drive.5 Congress has recognized the need to

provide sae and accessible transportation options

or all o our nations citizens, including those

who do not drive.

Te Formula Grant Program or Special Needs o

Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Dis-

abilities was created in 1975 to provide capital

assistance or specialized transportation to older

adults and persons with disabilities, primarily

through nonprot social equity agencies. Te Job

Access and Reverse Commute Formula Grant

Program (JARC) was enacted in 1998 as a com-ponent o welare reorm to connect low-income

individuals to jobs. Te New Freedom Program

was established by the Sae, Accountable, Flex-

ible, and Ecient ransportation Act: A Legacy

or Users (SAFEA LU) in 2005 to und trans-

portation services or persons with disabilities

that go beyond those required by the Americans

with Disabilities Act. While demand or these

services continues to grow, unding or these pro-

grams barely registers as percentage o the overall

transportation program.

5 American Public Transportation Assocation Poll,conducted by Harris Interactive on November 28 30,2005

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Older adults, persons with disabilities, and low-

income individuals are inadequately served by

our transportation investments. More than 50

percent o non-drivers aged 65 and older or

3.6 million Americans stay home on any given

day partially because they lack transportationoptions.6 According to a 2000 nationwide survey

by the National Organization on Disability, 30

percent o respondents with disabilities reported

diculty in accessing transportation, compared

to 10 percent o respondents without a disability.7

And while two-thirds o all new jobs are in the

suburbs, three-quarters o welare recipients live

in central cities or rural areas.8

4 America believes that the new ederal trans-

portation legislation must elevate the existing

programs under a newly created National Ac-

cess, Independence and Mobility Management

(AIMM) Priority Program. Tis national pro-

gram would bring new ocus to these transporta-

tion needs and provide or increased overall und-

ing while maintaining the targeted, specializedservices that are dierent and unique or older

people, persons with disabilities, and low-income

Americans. AIMM would also strengthen local

coordination planning and practice among all

transportation providers. Providing operating as-

sistance or paratransit service is long overdue and

6 Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Depart-ment of Transportation, National HouseholdTransportation Survey, 2001, Washington DC.

7 U.S. General Accounting Ofce, Transportation-Disadvantage Populations: Some Coordination

Efforts Among Programs Providing Transporta-

tion Services, but Obstacles Persist, Washing-ton, D.C., 2003)

8 Federal Transit Administration, Moving Rural Residentsto Work: Lessons Learned from Implementation of Eight

Job Access and Reverse Commute Project, Washing-ton, DC, 2002.

should be unded, with provisions to encourage

more ecient, responsive, reliable and respectul

service. In this way, the ederal program can help

ensure that the nations older individuals, persons

with disabilities, and low-income workers are able

to enjoy a high quality o lie, equitable access tojobs, social services, and ully participate in their

community.

National Transportation5.Safety Priority Program

Despite creating a multitude o saety programs,

recommending a wide variety o policies and

proposals and explicitly elevating saety to a newlevel o importance in the last transportation

authorization, the ederal government has yet

to develop a comprehensive, multi-modal saety

program that sets specic targets or improve-

ments and holds states accountable or making

our roads saer or all users. Meanwhile, tra-

c crashes continue to take a signicant toll on

Americans. Over the last two decades, tracdeaths have hovered around 43,000 per year, with

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bicyclists or pedestrians comprising about 5,000

o those annual atalities. Motor vehicle crashesare the leading cause o death or Americans aged

three to 33 and 2.5 million people are injured on

our roads each year.9

SAFEEA-LU made signicant strides in

promoting saety by mandating the creation o

Strategic Highway Saety Plans at the state level,

implementing the Sae Routes to School Program,

and ensuring an overall increase in unding or

saety programs. Nevertheless, the continued lag

in investment relative to need, singular ocus on

highway deaths, and lack o accountability in the

9 U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2007 Report

system has prevented us rom achieving a measur-

able set o goals to actually mark the successes orailures o our investments.

rac accidents and other health impacts o

surace transportation represent major orces a-

ecting the health and saety o the U.S. popula-

tion with signicant long-term impacts on the

ederal budget and the national economy. 4

America believes the ederal government must

show leadership on this issue by strengthening

and tightening existing laws and regulations

many o which are unevenly implemented across

the country and develop clear language to

require compliance at the state level. Appendix D

provides recommendations on a number o spe-

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cic actions 4 America recommends be included

in the next surace transportation bill to improve

public saety and reduce crashes.

Energy Security for Clean6.Communities

Tere is a critical national need to align transpor-

tation, energy, air and water quality and climate

policies. Despite the act that motor vehicle

engines are 90 percent cleaner than they were

orty years ago, increases in vehicle miles trav-

eled have negated the uel-eciency benet. Air

quality in many communities is still unhealthy,

exacerbating the prominence o cancer, asthmaand other respiratory illnesses. People who suer

rom asthma and live near heavy vehicular tra-

c are nearly three times more likely to visit the

emergency department or be hospitalized or their

condition than those with less trac exposure.

Moreover, living in the areas exposed to heavy

trac is a burden borne disproportionately by

people in low-income neighborhoods and bycommunities o color.

4 Americas recommended National ranspor-

tation Objectives included several perormance

targets specic to this program: reducing per

capita vehicle miles traveled; tripling transit and

non-motorized transportation usage; reducing

transportation-generated carbon dioxide; and

sharply reducing exposure to air pollution levelsthat are linked to cancer, asthma, and respiratory

problems.

Recognizing transportations impact on air qual-

ity, Congress created the Congestion Mitigation

and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)

as part o ISEA in 1991. oday, we know that

transportation also has a proound impact on

climate change as the astest growing source o

national greenhouse gas emissions, and is the

second largest single source o emissions in the

U.S., responsible or more than one-third o ouroverall emissions.

4 America calls on Congress in the next surace

transportation bill to re-arm its commitment

to clean air and clean water. We believe that air

quality conormity has been an important tool

or improving air quality in our nations metro-

politan areas, and 4 recommends that Congress

expand upon the success o the CMAQ program

to also recognize the national imperative to pro-

mote clean energy strategies and eciencies. We

recommend elevating these programs into a new

National Energy Security or Clean Communities

program that would broaden the eligibility o the

CMAQ program to our additional areas: vehicle

eciency, low carbon uels, VM reduction

strategies and system eciency improvements.

Tis expanded program would be unded at sig-

nicantly higher levels than the current CMAQ

program, with supplemental unding coming

rom climate change revenues. Te program

would provide unding and technical assistance

to help transportation entities institute green

technology and practices, as well as monitor their

carbon ootprint and lower harmul air pollut-

ants. Funding should also be provided to address

environmental justice concerns to mitigate health

impacts, ozone hot spots, and unhealthy air qual-

ity in disadvantaged communities.

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Climate and Transportation LegislationMust Work Together

4 America supports the proposal included in

Clean, Low Emissions, Aordable, New rans-

portation Act, or CLEAN-EA (introduced inthe U.S. Senate by Senators Tomas Carper and

Arlen Specter and in the U.S. House o Represen-

tatives by Representatives Earl Blumenauer and

Ellen auscher) that would allocate 10 percent o

climate auction revenues by ormula to states and

regions or the development o plans to reduce

VM, and und strategies to achieve these reduc-

tions. While these measures should be included

in any climate or clean energy bill, that legislation

alone is not sucient to meet the challenge o

reducing transportation-related carbon emissions.

Cleaning our Waterways and MinimizingRun-off

Pollution rom vehicles on ederal-aid roads and

highways has a huge negative impact on water

quality throughout the nation. Stormwater runo

rom the nations 985,139 miles o impervious

ederal-aid highway miles transport a variety o

pollutants to surrounding waterways and causes

signicant erosion to roadside streams and

ditches.

Stormwater runo carried rom these roads

impairs bodies o water in three ways: volume;rate o fow; and pollutants. Volume and fow

cause the erosion o stream banks, which causes

cloudy, sun-blocking water and sediment covered

substrate and aquatic vegetation. Stormwater also

picks up pollutants that have been deposited rom

vehicles, deicing agents, atmospheric deposition

and road degradation and carries toxic metals,

nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, and sediment to

local waterways.

o address this problem, 4 America recom-

mends that the ederal government set a policystandard or controlling stormwater discharges

rom ederally subsidized roadways. Te stormwa-

ter policy standard would apply to new ederal-

aid roads, as well as whenever signicant repair or

upgrades are undertaken. Specically, we ask the

ederal government to include language to:

Preserve and retain natural eatures such as

trees and shrubs as much as possible whennew roadways are built. Tese eatures reduce

fow rates and allow or water to settle and be

absorbed.

Invest in pre-treatment methods such as

street sweeping, catch basin cleaning, storm

drain fushing, and management plans or

deicing agents and roadside ertilizers.

reat as much runo as possible on site utiliz-

ing elements o low-impact development such

as retention basins, swales and inltration

trenches and basins.

reat remaining stormwater discharges osite

or create appropriate osets when onsite

treatment is not viable.

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tion Improvement Program (IP) and Statewide

ransportation Improvement Program (SIP),

with the state DO being the central arbitra-

tor, is that the Regional Blueprint and Statewide

Blueprint are each certied by the US DO

and EPA, with the state plan needing to incor-porate the Regional Blueprint. Once projects

are identied on a certied State or Regional

Blueprint, a city, MPO or transit provider can

apply or certication to receive direct ed-

eral aid to construct or implement projects.

Te ability to receive direct aid rom the ederal

government signicantly empowers local com-

munities and expedites project delivery to get

projects done more quickly. Te change will also

relieve state DOs rom some o the bureau-

cratic burdens allowing those agencies to ocus

on projects. Formula unding would provide all

areas with base unding or the development and

management o the core multimodal transporta-

tion system.

Te MAP program resembles the existing Suraceransportation Program with eligibility o unds

or highway, bridge, transit, bicycle, pedestrian

and rail projects.11 However, the MAP program

also includes a broader set o programs that have

been consolidated into this one multimodal

program.12 Rather than being ocused on modal

silos, the MAP program is structured to und

11 Freight and passenger rail eligibility was included in theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, andhopefully sets a precedent for expanded eligibility in theuse of highway funds.

12 The MAP program includes a consolidation of fund-ing, or portions of funding from a variety of existingprograms that would be incorporated into this morecomprehensive, integrated program. These includesurface transportation program and national highwaysystem funds, urbanized and non-urbanized formulatransit funds, over the road bus, intelligent transporta-tion, value pricing, recreational trails among others.

an integrated program o transportation invest-

ments with states and regions needing to demon-

strate a package o investments that will achieve

National ransportation Perormance argets.

In undertaking the Blueprint process, states and

regions are encouraged to choose low-cost optionsto improve overall regional access and mobil-

ity through improved land use options, demand

management options, and public transit options.

Federal oversight and enorcement is a prerequi-

site o this program to ensure that investments are

consistent with certied Blueprint plans, and that

reliable inormation is being reported on progress

towards achievement o the National ransporta-

tion Perormance argets.

Te MAP program, described in greater detail in

Appendix F, would und the ollowing eligible

transportation activities:

Road and Public ransportation Capacity

(projects below $75 million in total project

cost);

Bicycle and Pedestrian Capacity 10 percent

ransportation Enhancements set-aside

Commuter Choice programs

ransportation Demand Management

System management, i.e. Intelligent rans-

portation Systems and Congestion Pricing

ransportation-Supportive Land Use Activi-

ties 5 percent Livable Communities set-

aside

Mobility Management

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Discretionary Programsto Complete the NationalTransportation System

Te Multimodal Access Program (MAP) program

is intended to provide unding or the core set

o multimodal programs, but the ollowing our

additional discretionary programs are also sug-

gested to accelerate development o the Nationalransportation System. 4 America supports the

creation o a ederal review process that recom-

mends projects or unding based on the ability

o the project sponsor to demonstrate the projects

nancial easibility, environmental impact and

mitigation strategies, cost/benet including

economic development and job creation impacts

and level o nancial risk. Projects should be

included in the State Blueprint, and Regional

Blueprint, i applicable.

Intercity Passenger1.Transportation Program

Railroads and intercity buses are a critical com-

ponent o our national transportation system,

providing personal mobility options and eco-nomic growth or rural, suburban and urban

communities while meeting the nations energy

and climate challenges. 4 America supports

eorts to strengthen and expand the nations

intercity passenger travel options through the

creation o an Intercity Passenger ransportation

Program, to provide discretionary unds through

icy passg nwok

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a competitive grant program administered by US

DO or intercity passenger rail and intercity bus

projects to complete a trans-American passenger

network. Te ederal government should und

investments to expand capacity, improve saety,

achieve reasonable service levels, and protect theoperations o intercity passenger services in the

United States. Appendix G discusses details o

this proposed Intercity Passenger ransportation

Grant Program.

Intercity passenger rail is one element o a com-

prehensive intercity passenger network that also

includes air travel and bus services. An emphasis

on coordinating these services and enhancing

links between intercity travel, regional, and local

travel will leverage the governments investments,

maximize ridership, and enhance mobility op-

tions or passengers. Impacts to communities

should also be addressed, including railroad

crossing saety and land use strategies to support

intercity transportation investments. 4America

recommends the development o a rans-Ameri-can Intercity Passenger Network to be completed

by 2030 as recommended by America 2050. Tis

network should provide competitive travel op-

tions within and between regions o the US, with

a specic ocus on travel corridors connecting our

nations largest cities and towns. o prioritize and

select appropriate investments, US DO should

develop a national vision or the intercity passen-

ger network serving all important transportation

routes connecting regions and metropolitan areas.

Tis national vision should include the ollowing

elements and ultimately provide a plan or the

creation o a seamless rans-American Intercity

Passenger Network:

Develop recommendations or service levels

appropriate in high-density areas coupled

with long-haul services to connect and inte-

grate rural regions;

Set policies or allocating unding or region-

al intercity passenger rail and intercity bus

projects and on-going services;

Provide criteria or developing public-private

partnerships to ensure the most appropriate

use o ederal unds; and

Create new, publicly owned high-speed rail

segments in those routes where requency and

speed are most easible.

4 America commends the Obama-Biden

Administration or its April 2009 Vision or

High Speed Rail in America plan. Tis plan,

in combination with the $8 billion providing in

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,

is an important down payment to jump start a

world-class network o high speed passenger rail

corridors in America. High-speed rail is a critical

element in creating a dynamic, seamless national

intercity passenger rail system. Additional und-

ing should be provided in the next surace trans-

portation program, and through other resources,

to realize this vision.

Green Freight and Ports2.

Program

Functional, sae, and ecient transportation sys-

tems are one o the cornerstones upon which this

country was built. Americas economic strength

and the health o its citizens depend on our

ability to connect people to opportunity and on

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transportation network that is outmoded, over-

capacity, dependent on imported petroleum, and

incapable o eciently linking the US national

economy into the global economy.

o ensure coordinated, ederal leadership in shap-

ing uture transportation investments to support

reight movement and build a trans-American

reight network, 4 America recommends estab-

lishing a Green Freight and Ports Program. Tisprogram would create a competitive grant pro-

gram administered by US DO to und invest-

ments to expand and green our reight system

and nations ports, with a ocus on improving

rst/last mile intermo

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