National/Federal
Reps. Brownley and Espaillat Step Up For Safety
We congratulate Representatives Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) for introducing the Safe and Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act. H.R. 3040 would help make sure that federal safety funds are directed towards projects that make walking and rolling safer.
Transportation Heats Up in the Senate
While the current FAST Act won’t expire until September 2020, it takes a lot of time for Congress to hold hearings, negotiate, come up with bills, find funding, and get them passed and signed into law. Past transportation reauthorization bills have been plagued by delays and extensions, but the Senate in particular is off to a fast start this year.
Congress Talks Climate and Transportation
In the first two months of the new Congress, one key issue making news is climate change. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, making up 28.5 percent of all emissions. Emissions from transportation have been increasing primarily due to people driving more and driving larger vehicles that are less fuel efficient. Often, emission reduction solutions focus on things like electrifying cars and transit or shifting to zero-emissions trucks.
Announcing Carol Goss as Our New Board Chair
The Safe Routes Partnership is proud to announce Carol Goss as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. Carol steps up to assume the role of Board Chair after serving as a board member for five years and providing a strong force in leading and shaping the organization’s vision for equity and the work of the board.
Congressional Leaders Speak Out on Safe Routes, Biking, and Walking
While much of the attention in January here in DC has been focused on resolving the standoff over the government shutdown, Congress has also been getting organized – welcoming new members, deciding committee leadership and assignments, and staffing up.
2018 Election Results: What Do They Mean for Active Transportation?
As the media has fully covered, the November elections resulted in Democrats getting the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and Republicans retaining their majority in the Senate. That means we have a divided Congress and compromise will be needed for any legislation to move forward.
Walking, Voting Rights, and Why #SafeRoutestoVote Matters
This blog post was written by Sara Zimmerman and Marisa Jones.
States Leap Ahead with TAP Funding
Every quarter, we look at how state departments of transportation are handling their allocations for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). This is a particularly important quarter as it marks the end of the federal fiscal year, which is the deadline for states to obligate their FY2015 funding or lose it.
Congressional Update: Progress on Spending Bills; Concerns on Automated Vehicles Bill
We’re nearing the end of September, which means it is time for Congress to reach resolution on the annual appropriations process. By September 30, Congress must either pass funding bills for the various federal agencies or extend them through a continuing resolution.