Consortium Members Join Transportation Equity Group

Transportation for America has convened an Equity Caucus that includes members of the National Consortium on the Coordination of Human Services Transportation. Those Consortium members are the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living, the Center for Community Change, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.

The caucus has declared its goals for transportation reauthorization. Among its goals are increased spending on public transit, "bicycle facilities, and sidewalks— particularly in disadvantaged communities," flexibility for transit systems to use funds for operating expenses, and increases in funding streams to serve "people who depend on public transportation—older adults, individuals with disabilities, people in rural areas, and the poor." The caucus also calls on Congress to invest in car sharing, bike sharing and auto loan programs in rural areas and under served city neighborhoods.

The priorities of the group go beyond a call to fund public transit and human services transportation. There is a jobs component as well as a public health component.

Other organizations that have joined the caucus are unions, walking and cycling associations, smart growth groups, and public health organizations.

Rural Transit Gets Attention

The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL), along with YouthBuild USA, Good News Mountaineer Garage (a car ownership program for low-income residents of West Virginia), Redwood Coast Rural Action (a regional network of rural leaders based in northern California), and Sustainable Northwest (a Western U.S. community-oriented, conservation-based non-profit group), is a member of the National Rural Assembly Rural Transportation Policy Group. The group released a statement declaring, "Highway-building alone is not enough to address the economic and mobility needs of small-town and rural America."

The group's position on transportation reauthorization legislation calls for the federal government to be a catalyst to "modernize, strengthen and integrate the transportation systems that connect rural people and places to each other and urban commercial centers, while protecting the landscapes, habitat and livelihoods of rural communities." The National Rural Assembly is also asking for investments in broadband technology.

Billy Altom, executive director of APRIL, stated that "rural residents, especially those with disabilities, need and deserve affordable and accessible transportation. This includes public transit, regional, and inter-modal systems that are in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act."

Stories of Rural Livability

The Transportation for America blog series on rural livability is now complete, with 12 examples of livability initiatives across the spectrum of small towns, reservations and small cities. A few of the examples are from the archives of technical assistance projects of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). Some are examples of EPA smart growth projects.

The series shows some examples of transit's role in creating livable communities. Others showcase places that have embarked on downtown and pedestrian-friendly projects. The full series is available at http://t4america.org/tag/livability-case-studies/.

One State Goes Totally Smart Growth

The newsletter of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), announced that New York State recently passed a smart growth bill that is intended to do away with unnecessary sprawl. Enacted as an environmental conservation measure, the law sets forth nine smart growth criteria, including protection of rural agricultural land and improvement of public transportation choices to move beyond automobile dependency.

Though there are no exceptions to the law listed, it only applies to state agencies. It requires state infrastructure agencies to create smart growth advisory committees and mandates state committees to "solicit input from and consult with various representatives of affected communities and organizations within those communities, and shall give consideration to the local and environmental interests affected by the activities of the agency or projects planned, approved or financed through such agency."

I'm a New Yorker; I'm skeptical, watching and waiting to see how this broad legislative action plays out in the real world. There are no enforcement teeth or specific mandates.

Livability and Legislative Efforts for Rural Areas

Billy Altom, Executive Director of the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) and Robin Phillips of the American Bus Association participated in Transportation for America’s Congressional lobby day for its rural and small town partners.

The issue for the participants is access, whether to jobs, grocery stores, or medical care. “Many felt their towns, tribes or counties were ready to move on innovative projects that improve access and quality of life, if only federal policy would give them a little nudge. Far from asking Washington to tell them what to do, they were asking for resources to make change for themselves possible.” At a panel to discuss these issues, Altom talked about the transportation challenges facing older Americans and people with disabilities.

He called on audience members to no longer see those with unique transportation needs – whether due to reliance on a wheelchair, inability to afford a car or age-related limitations– as an “us versus them” situation. Getting transportation right is not just about changing public policy, Altom said, but “changing public perception.”

The Lobbying Day effort is supportive of the continuing statements of Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. On May 6, 2010, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood testified before the Senate appropriations subcommittee about livable communities. He specifically addressed rural areas in terms of pedestrian friendliness, transportation options, and the threat to farmland of suburban sprawl. The Secretary gave the example of Bath, Maine.

Bath is a small town in southwest Maine whose historic downtown area is a model of a livable community. The town provides two trolley loops to transport residents and tourists through downtown, reducing the need for on-street parking. Bath’s street design encourages citizens to get out of their cars, which in turn supports local merchants through increased foot traffic.

The Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also spoke and stated that HUD is “looking at creating a separate, special funding category for small towns and rural places." The testimony can be found at http://appropriations.senate.gov/ht-transportation.cfm?method=hearings.view&id=ff4c98a0-58a1-4182-a9a2-5b718da15266.