A coalition of US transportation groups has sent a letter to US congressional leadership. This outlines four recommendations for how the federal government can fast-track transit and active transportation projects amid the Covid-19 crisis.
With a focus on how US Congress can empower cities to provide safe, equitable, and healthy transportation options during the pandemic and beyond, the recommendations call for:
- Renewed investment in public transit to keep transit agencies afloat;
- Continued investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities through the Surface Transportation Block Grant and Transportation Alternatives programs;
- The levelling of several procedural hurdles that have historically slowed these sorts of projects;
- A focus on innovative solutions in transportation to help cities incentivize sustainable transportation options as the public begins to return to work. These include investments in bike-sharing as a redundancy to public transit and subsidization of transit passes for low-income individuals during the recovery.
“The League of American Bicyclists and our partners are asking Congress to prioritize people and our need for safe, healthy, sustainable transportation options as part of the pandemic recovery efforts,” said Bill Nesper, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists.
“The steps we’ve outlined would ensure reliable and equitable access to transit and that better biking and walking networks are core to building back better, post-pandemic.”
Beth Osborne, Executive Director of Transportation for America said “People all around the country are realizing how much public space is dedicated to cars and how little space we have made for actual people.
“Especially as we steer through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is absolutely essential that people have space to move around outside while still social distancing. We no longer have any excuses to fail to address these needs.”
The letter was jointly signed by the following organisations:
League of American Bicyclists
America Walks
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP)
BCycle LLC
Lyft
North American Bikeshare Association
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NUMO
PeopleForBikes
Safe Routes Partnership
Shared-Use Mobility Center
Transport Workers Union of America
Transportation for America
