This post was written by Victor Rubin, PolicyLink Vice President for Research and author of the new report, “All Aboard! Making Equity and Inclusion Central to Federal Transportation Policy”

Of all the ways federal spending affects our lives, federal transportation policy has perhaps the most permanent and tangible impact – it shapes how our communities are laid out, how our economy is structured, and how we live our lives day to day.

Making sure all communities are best-served by our federal transportation policy, however, is a tricky business. Lots of powerful interests are aligned to continue the status quo – more new highways and relatively little investment in public transit, biking and walking.

That’s why the national movement for transportation equity is so important – we need to have our voices strong and united to stand up against the entrenched interests.

In this new report by the PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity, we highlight three groups that have been particularly effective at bringing the voice of local residents to the policy table.

• The Transportation for America (T4A) campaign is an alliance of more than 200 housing, business, environmental, public health, transportation, equitable development, and other organizations, as well as a growing number of government officials, which seeks to shape the 2009 federal authorization to build a fundamentally better national transportation system. The T4A campaign advocates for much greater financial support for transit and for support of transit oriented development, and proposes these priorities in the context of an overhaul of the federal transportation system.
• The Transportation Equity Network (TEN) has become a powerful voice of organized residents in cities and regions demanding a more equitable transportation system. Many of the TEN member groups have advocated in their home regions for greater access to jobs, training, and business opportunities in transportation construction for low-income communities and communities of color. Recently, TEN has developed a comprehensive platform for the 2009 federal authorization, including strong support for public transit.
• Transit Riders for Public Transportation (TRPT) is a new coalition of grassroots advocates for transit, coordinated by the Labor/Community Strategy Center in Los Angeles, home to that city’s Bus Riders Union. TRPT brings environmental justice and civil rights priorities to the federal authorization and takes a strong position in support of significantly greater federal funding for transit operating costs, as well as capital improvements, with a preference for the bus systems that serve more working-class riders.

Do you have other stars of the transportation equity movement we should know about? Share them in the comments!

The 775-page transportation authorization bill introduced in the House this week, offers a broad, reform-minded framework for fixing our nation’s transportation system. However, more must be done to ensure an equitable, smart, and green transportation system that provides real, affordable options for all Americans.
To help you stay abreast of the transportation authorization, we are hosting a conference call on Friday June 26th from 2:30 to 3:30 pm EST (11:30 am to 12:30 pm PDT), where PolicyLink, Transportation for America, and the Transportation Equity Network will break down the equity opportunities in the new transportation authorization bill.

To RSVP for the call, visit http://www.PolicyLink.org/AnEquitableFuture

“This bill provides a promising foundation for real transportation reform in America, but we must do more to ensure this bill promotes true access to opportunity for lower-income people and communities of color,” said Radhika Fox, PolicyLink Federal Policy Director. “While the House bill includes some positive provisions, more work needs to be done to ensure that this $450 billion dollar investment creates communities of opportunity for all Americans.”

We need far more detail, for instance, on whether low-income people and people of color will have meaningful access to good jobs and job training programs in the transportation sector. Most of the sections of the bill that cover these issues are blank with details “to be supplied.” In addition, we need stronger provisions to make sure cities and regions can use federal transportation resources to help cash-strapped transit agencies with support for the costs of current operations, not just capital construction.

The foundation for much-needed reform is in place, but the hard work of hammering out the details to ensure our nation’s under-served communities benefit still remains. PolicyLink stands ready to support members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House leadership to craft a transformative bill that will foster equity and inclusion in America.

We also encourage you to visit the Transportation for America and Transportation Equity Network for more information.

With the release this week of the 775-page transportation re-authorization bill, the starting gun has officially sounded on the effort to create real transportation reform in America.

During a conference call Friday, June 26, from 2:30-3:30 pm EDT (11:30 am to 12:30 pm PDT), we will break down the equity opportunities in the new transportation authorization bill introduced in Congress this week – which could include billions in funding for low-income communities and communities of color.

RSVP for the call here

Panelists will include:

• Radhika Fox, Federal Policy Director, PolicyLink
• James Corless, Director, Transportation for America
• Laura Barrett, National Policy Director, Transportation Equity Network

The flood of participants to last week’s Transportation, Equity and the Recovery conference call produced more questions than we had time to answer. We’re going to do our best to make up for that on the blog. Below is the first in a series of answers to unanswered questions. If you have more questions on how you can affect transportation funding in your community, please leave them in the comments section.

How can local public transit systems take advantage of the green jobs or energy efficiency dollars in the recovery package, particularly smaller public transit systems located in poorer, less urban areas that may have less capacity to compete for the competitive grants?

(Answer prepared by Solana Rice, PolicyLinkprogram associate)

Several funding streams in the Recovery Act invest in small public transit systems.  Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), $765 million of Public Transit Capital Assistance has been allocated to states using the Non-Urbanized Area Formula, which covers areas with a population of less than 50,000 people.  This investment in public transit also includes an additional $570 million for state governors to allocate to federally-identified small Urbanized Areas that have a population of less than 200,000.

The Federal Transit Administration issued important guidance about these funds and tables listing allocations to states and areas in the March 5, 2009 Federal Register.  In the case of the Non-Urbanized Area Formula, states will receive funding and identify local governments and agencies to be sub-recipients of the funds.  According to federal law, states must use at least 15 percent of Non-Urbanized Formula funds for intercity bus services.  Governors can waive this requirement if they have consulted with bus service providers and have deemed that needs are adequately met.

Advocates must work with local governments and transit agencies to highlight the needs of low-income communities to help states prioritize distribution of this funding.  Advocates must also push to ensure that state decision makers are allocating the required 15 percent investment in bus services that link low-income communities to key employment centers and services.  With a growing number of transit agencies making cuts, advocates in smaller areas should also know that the Recovery Act allows the Non-Urbanized Area funds and the small Urbanized Area funds to cover transit operating expenses.

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Last Friday, PolicyLink and the Transportation Equity Network co-hosted a call for about 200 local, state and national advocates looking at how to bring stimulus transportation money to communities that most need it. You can read a minute-by-minute live blog of the event here.

Or, if you’re more of an auditory learner, the full audio of the hour-long call is now available. Hit play on the player below to listen or downlaod at this link.