Federal Funding/Policy

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.

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.

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.

States Buckle Down on Spending TAP; Some States Risk Losing Funds

Each quarter, we take a look at state progress with implementing the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). For the quarter covering April to June 2018, states obligated nearly $131 million in TAP funding, with all states except for three making forward progress. (Obligation means that the state DOT has committed funding to a local TAP project and is a key step towards actually getting the project built or implemented.)

State Report Cards: A Tool to Improve TAP in Your State

Last month, the Safe Routes Partnership released the 2018 version of Making Strides: State Report Cards on Support for Walking, Bicycling, and Active Kids and Communities. The report cards rank states on their policy approaches on a range of areas, including Complete Streets, school siting, physical activity planning, and more.