With Economic Stimulus stories saturating the news, it's easy to lose track of other major legislative work in Washington this year, and one of the most important subjects under development at the moment is a new surface transportation bill. Here at Empire State Future, through the efforts of our Research Associate Katie Nosker, we are partnering with a budding New York alliance to do what we can to ensure the result is a law that properly addresses the urgent needs of the multi-modal country we inhabit.
The Obama Administration and Congress face this year's expiration of SAFETEA-LU -- the current $286 billion national transportation bill -- and the challenge of creating a new transportation program for the 21th century. With change in the air and a transit-friendly Administration, a new chance to clean-up and green-up our approach to transportation as a nation is at hand.
The new bill must not simply be about transportation: it must help to create equitable, sustainable and healthy communities that Americans will want to inhabit.
Disturbingly, during the 1990s boom economic segregation and income inequality increased in America. The gap between the very rich and the middle class the poor and grew substantially. And many metropolitan areas re-segregated, with some schools more segregated than they were in 1964. Jobs and housing spread out at alarming rates, making it more difficult for people with low incomes to access jobs.
In our current economic crisis, disadvantaged populations are affected more severely than ever. In particular, public transportation riders are experiencing fare increases and service cuts when they can least afford it. Transit systems across the country are experiencing severe budget shortfalls. According to Guillermo Mayer of Public Advocates, some major shortfalls include: New York City, $1.2 billion; the Bay Area, $300 million; Chicago, $213 million; Los Angeles, $200 million; and Washington DC, $176 million. Cuts to these systems disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged populations. Don Chen of the Ford Foundation reports that two-thirds of transit riders are below median income, and 55% of transit users are people of color.
To help combat this trend the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance (NYS TEA) has formed, with organizations from across the state coming together to advocate for an increase in equity provisions in this year's reauthorization of the transportation bill. The new alliance is funded by the Ford Foundation and will be led by a Steering Committee consisting of Empire State Future, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, UPROSE, and WE ACT.
Drawing on the work of organizations like the national Transportation Equity Network (TEN) and others, NYS TEA will advocate for a more equitable transportation system for the 21st Century. Much of what we support today was included in ISTEA, the first truly multi-modal transportation bill that became public policy a dozen years ago, but has never been fully realized. These elements include:
- Increased investments in public transportation, biking and walking facilities
- Prioritized investments in transportation infrastructure in low income and distressed communities
- Connectivity between transportation systems and land use decisions
- Strengthened public involvement and accountability in decision making
- Job creation and training, especially for low-income and minority communities through transportation funds
Through successful implementation of these provisions, NYS TEA envisions an America where all people, regardless of social strata or economic condition, have real access to employment opportunities and the option to live in a secure community where they can walk, ride bikes or use transit to build a strong future for them and their family.
