Treasury Department Touts Transit and Infrastructure Investments

Department of the Treasury
The Treasury Department issues a report, A New Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Investment, that argues in favor of expanding transportation options as an avenue for economic growth, citing research on location-efficient neighborhoods and emission reductions due to transit ridership, among other evidence. Also covered is what the Administration is doing currently in terms of investments in infrastructure and speeding project delivery.

The report also speaks in favor of a national infrastructure bank and benefits to the middle class of wise infrastructure investment, including a benefit to Lincoln, NE, of 1000 jobs for making Metro North train cars that seat commuters from Westchester and Connecticut traveling into the city each day. (Yes, New York City, Grand Central, specifically.)

No Pie on Transit* - Except Pi Day?

Public health benefits are touted as a reason to invest in transit.

Using data on individuals before (July 2006 to February 2007) and after (March 2008 to July 2008) the completion of a light rail system in Charlotte, North Carolina, they find that the use of light rail to commute to work is associated with a nearly 1.2 point reduction in body mass index as well as an 81 percent reduction in the odds of becoming obese. Moreover, improved perceptions of neighborhoods as a result of the availability of light rail were associated with 15 percent lower odds of obesity as well as higher odds of meeting weekly recommended physical activity levels for walking and vigorous exercise (9 percent and 11 percent, respectively).

In addition to all of the personal benefits associated with a healthier life style, overall costs on our health care system are substantially reduced when obesity rates are lowered, given that health care costs for the obese are almost twice the rate for normal weight individuals. Finkelstein et al. find that between 1998 and 2006, the prevalence of obesity in the United States increased by 37 percent, adding $40 billion dollars to health care costs.

A separate study by Stokes et al. estimates that health care savings in Charlotte from the creation of the first segment of their light rail system could reach a cumulative $12.6 million by 2015. These facts also suggest that targeted investment in creating new public transportation systems could translate into large-scale savings in health care costs. Furthermore, many other academic studies show that proximity to public transportation and more rationally-designed neighborhoods tend to be associated with increased walking and other physical activity for the general population, working or otherwise. [Footnotes omitted.]

Transit ridership growth is declared as well as increased demand for transit service. There is more in the report.

* [For all of you non-math nerds, Pi Day is March 14, as in 3.14159 etc., used in circle radius, circumference, diameter and other calculations. It is also the birthday of Albert Einstein and my mother. That would make her happy. Some schools ask parents to make pie donations for math class celebrations. Not that math classes are unhealthy; other than the last day of the term, that's pretty much the only day for less-than-healthy eating in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus and beyond classes. Well, at least the ones I am aware of.]

Occupy Transportation? and State Updates

Amalgamated Transit Union
ATU is generating attention for April 4 as a National Day of Action for Public Transportation, called by Occupy Boston on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech about Vietnam and American poverty. The April 4 event "is about demanding public transportation for the 99% by spreading the word about the mass transit crisis out to riders and the general public." Occupy Boston voiced its concerns for transit funding at a recent public hearing. ATU's website links to the Occupy Boston announcement.

National Conference of State Legislatures
NCSL releases its monthly transportation newsletter, which includes an overview of reauthorization activity in Congress, high-speed rail developments, and an update on state funding for transportation.

Reauthorization and Other Perspectives on the Future of Mobility Choices

National Conference of State Legislatures
NCSL, in partnership with the National Governors Association (NGA), the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National League of Cities (NLC), issues a statement of principles for moving forward with transportation reauthorization legislation. "'State and local governments are responsible for 97 percent of the nation’s interconnected surface transportation systems and contribute nearly 75 percent of the annual cost to operate and maintain those systems,' said NGA Executive Director Dan Crippen."

Among others, the principles include:
1. "[T]he continuation of the “user pays” principle to guide transportation funding" with opposition to federally mandated prescriptions of sub-federal authority over demand-side strategies.
2. Stable funding for "reliable, long-term funding certainty" so that state and local governments can execute long-term, multi-year projects.
3. "[M]aximum federal surface transportation program and funding flexibility given our diversity of geography, population, and priorities" and opposition to earmarks.
4. Streamlining of processes to reduce project approval and completion time.
5. "[S]trong federal role in funding transportation solutions for metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas across the country" to address connectivity and congestion issues.
6. Clear, "outcome-oriented performance measures."

National Governors Association
NGA provides a new page on its website entitled "Redesigning State Government," with information about how different states are coping with lean fiscal conditions.

Paralyzed Veterans of America
PVA celebrates accessible design and mobility with its 2011 Accessible City Award going to sixth, seventh and eighth graders from St. Thomas More School in Baton Rouge, LA.

The team took a comprehensive approach to accessibility: the blind had chips embedded on the side of their heads that allowed them to perceive figures so they would not bump into things. An integrative transportation system provided easy transitioning for people in wheelchairs and also sensed when passengers were waiting to board, stopping for them without being summoned.

What impressed the judges was the universality of the team's approach. Their concept of accessibility included people in wheelchairs and strollers, as well as those with physical and sensory challenges. What impresses me is the promise of technological advances and design innovations for making transportation more accessible to wider range of individuals.

The Current State of Rural Transit

For a realistic snapshot of rural transportation generally - including transit, intercity service and human services transportation - read Rethinking Federal Investments in Rural Transportation: Rural Considerations Regarding Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act, produced by the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI). In a nutshell, the report states:

There are about 1,200 systems operating in half of rural counties nationwide, but they tend to be local in nature, and generally not connected to regional and national passenger systems. Thirty-eight percent of rural residents live in areas with no public transit. There are also 3,700 systems specifically for the elderly and people with disabilities, and others operated by human services agencies.

Add to the many logistical challenges the reality that many rural areas do not have access to professional staff or sufficient staff to handle their transportation and mobility challenges. Though only one piece of the economic development puzzle, transportation is described as a threshold item for local and regional economic success. The report supports local planning to increase transportation options and suggests that "[t]ransportation funding and planning should be measured against outcomes rather than uniform standards." Helpful charts are provided that categorize the challenges for different types of rural areas.

Human Service, State and Other Perspectives on Budget Proposals

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A)
N4A applauds President Obama's budget request. It highlights the proposed "significant investment in programs to support older adults and their caregivers. We especially would like to acknowledge the increased funding of $96 million for home and community-based supportive services as part of the Administration’s Caregiver Initiative."

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
NADO has posted a recording of its budget briefing and response to the House continuing resolution proposal. This is a long and detailed recording, but it gives an excellent review of the consequences of the budget debate for rural regions.

National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD)
NASUAD offers a family of materials about funding proposals, including a comprehensive agency-by-agency review of the President's budget.

National Head Start Association (NHSA)
NHSA is opposing proposed cuts to Head Start funding. The association has posted a chart of state-by-state reductions in student slots based on the House's continuing resolution proposal.

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
PVA comments on the Administration's proposed spending for veterans programs.

[Our NRC staff at the 2010 EXPO in Long Beach, CA. Join us this year for EXPO in Indianapolis. From right to left, bottom row: NRC Director Chris Zeilinger and Eileen Boswell; top row: Janice Lorenz, Charles Dickson and Sheryl Gross-Glaser.]

United Way
United Way is urging its local constituencies to oppose proposed cuts to early education, emergency shelters, Americorps, health programs and supports for low-wage families.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APHSA offers its review of proposed federal expenditures for human services programs.

When Medical Care Goes Wrong

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
An important legal issue is not only which party to an agreement or a medical procedure will take the economic risk, but also who adjudicates the disputes and who sets the standards. NCSL sent a letter to a House committee opposing federal medical malpractice legislation due to the position of state legislatures that states should be the entities to set the rules about how these lawsuits proceed.

NCSL has posted a fact sheet about state pension systems. The fact sheet itself provides an overview of "the degree to which [pensions] fit in the overall budget picture at the state and local levels, and the steps state and local governments are taking to bring their pension plans into long-term solvency." The information compiled was a joint venture with several national organizations. Basically, the organizations put forth evidence that state pension systems are in decent shape, are not contributing to the poor fiscal conditions in which state governments find themselves, and that public employees assist in the funding of their retirement.

Event

NCSL's Spring Forum - Apr. 14-15, 2011, in Washington, DC.

[Please note that due to the blogger software, this post is not being archived by organization (except for the event). Those national organization names are too long for the elves inside the software. Perhaps they are hobbits and not elves. Perhaps I should avoid technology issues and any machine that requires more than one remote control device.]

News Roundup: Coordination, Transportation Legislation and Technology

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
NCSL's Transportation Coordination Newsletter is a quarterly compendium of coordination developments, particularly at the state level. This issue also includes news about a volunteer driver law and resources.

NCSL's magazine has an article, Boomers on Board, which provides an overview of the demographics of the emerging boom in need and likely growth in mobility management, coordination, safety for older drivers, and land use and transportation coordination.

News

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
FTA has a new webpage with information about each of its grant programs. Both the names and numbers of each program are supplied, with links to each program.

American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
APHSA is closely covering the activity in Congress relating to proposals for budget cuts and human services, including transit programs.

Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
Act is supporting the COMMUTE Less Act (HR 260), which would actively encourage employer involvement in transit and transportation planning processes as well as "engage employers in providing commuting alternatives to employees, including carpooling, vanpooling, use of transit, and teleworking." It would also fund a national organization to house a technical assistance center, an information clearinghouse and an "information and educational program with respect to the employer investment in transportation and commuter benefit program."

Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)
APRIL is now offering its mentors virtual peer visits, along with the equipment to make them possible, as an alternative to in-person mentoring visits. CILs retain the choice of an in-person visit. The website has more details about the CIL mentoring program.

In a Google search to find out more about Rep. John Mica's upcoming listening tour about transportation reauthorization, there were a few transit blog posts and coverage from the Wall Street Journal. In an excellent article, Fight Looms over Transportation, the paper lays out the different positions within the Republican Party and the Administration, the shrinking value of gas tax revenue, and what is at stake for all types of infrastructure and transportation. Positions of associations, states and other stakeholders are not discussed.

Listening tour dates are available from at http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/01/28/ti-committee-announces-field-hearing-schedule/.


Transit Wire Highlights

The Transit Wire, a transit and technology blog, links to news of what GPS means for the Lehigh and Northanpton Authority, a Pennsyvania bus system, and its customers in terms of real-time bus information and using the information about passenger loads to improve service.

Your local bus stop could soon transform from the place with exhausted faces to the place people visit whether or not they are getting on a bus. The Transit Wire led me to this neat photo-laden article about a new generation of bus stops, places with interactive media, Internet and GPS access, solar energy-produced heat and power, opportunities to leave messages, and avant garde design.

After the Election - Organizations Explain Changes

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD): Summary of the election's results for Congress, statehouses and state legislatures. The summary goes into detail about implications for health care, supports for older Americans, and state government personnel.

National Association of Regional Councils (NARC):
NARC prepared a summary of the election and changes in Congressional leadership significant to regional planning organizations.

The National Disability Institute offered its opinion on what the election will mean.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): NCSL provides NCSL Fiscal Brief: State Balanced Budget Provisions, which explains what is meant by a balanced budget, to which funds state constitutional and statutory provisions apply and what enforcement mechanisms exist. Interesting is how varied balanced budget requirements are. This not a one-size-fits-all term.

Resources and Events to Make Livability and Accessibility Happen

I admit to being early on the smart growth bandwagon and happy to see the concept morph into the more-inclusive livability/sustainability collaboration that is the inter-agency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, among the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). From what I hear, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) are also coordinating with the partnership at various levels.

The current manual of funding sources among the partnership agencies is Leveraging the Partnership: DOT, HUD, and EPA Programs for Sustainable Communities. Many of the sources can be used for transit and other mobility options, including designing a street scape that improves access to buses, vanpool meeting areas, trains and biking facilities.

Since our transportation technical assistance (TA) centers have been involved with livability since before the term was invented, many of us are educating our constituencies about livability resources that will bring and enhance transit service and transportation options to communities across the country.

Upcoming Livability-Related Events among the TA Centers

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Livability 101 Pre-conference on July 25, 2010, right before the Legislative Summit in Louisville, Ky. The Transportation Committee will be concentrating as well on high-speed rail, the link between transportation and health, biking and rural road safety.

Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA): Forming Partnerships with Transit for human service providers, disability community advocates and private transportation providers – online from Aug. 2 to Sept. 10, 2010.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA): State Public Transit Partnerships Conference on Aug. 3-6, 2010 in Seattle will have a livability session.

Access and Universal Design

Livability encompasses availability of transportation options beyond the automobile. To include everyone in the benefits of livable community initiatives raises issues of universal design, rural access and specialized transportation. The following resources and events address those issues and their links to economic development, equitable access for transportation-challenged populations, and costs.

Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) continues to assist the transit community to make people with disabilities welcome. A handy Transit Operator’s Pocket Guide informs drivers of their ADA responsibilities and etiquette for interacting with people with disabilities.

ESPA: Excellence in Service for Paratransit Managers - online from July 19 to Sept. 24, 2010.

Taxi, Limousine, and Paratransit Association (TLPA) releases Assessing the Full Cost of Implementing An Accessible Taxicab Program. The report discusses how the taxi industry works in terms of the practical obstacles and costs of providing accessibility where the additional costs fall on mostly small businesses and independent contractors.

Rural Accessibility

For rural transportation and economic development resources, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has a Rural Transportation Clearinghouse. Among the resources available are descriptions of how rural planning organizations operate in different states.

National Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation Conference on October 24-27, 2010, in Burlington, Vt. Conference sessions will include accessibility, rural transit policy and planning, alternative fuels, regional systems, networks and coalitions, and tribal transportation.

ADA Takes the Ferry

Finally, with a picture of the Staten Island Ferry, the Secretary of Transportation blogged on June 17 about extending ADA protection to maritime vessels, including public ferry service. Secretary LaHood "encourage[s] everyone to visit www.regulations.gov and get their two cents in on the important questions" outstanding about this ADA extension.