Transportation for America

Charlier Associates has been providing technical support to Smart Growth America, Reconnecting America, and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership since May, 2008. Specifically, CAI staff has served as technical authors and editors for the T4 Platform designed to guide the new federal surface transportation authorization legislation.

In 2009, Congress began working on legislation authorizing and updating the federal surface transportation program.  This program guides the federal expenditure of just over $50 billion annually for public transit, rail, highway, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and services across the country.  The money is granted principally to state transportation departments, local and regional transit agencies and metropolitan planning organizations.

However, the importance of federal surface transportation program goes far beyond its size. 

Transportation policy is perhaps our most important tool for improving our nation’s global economic competitiveness and the health and quality of life for households and individuals, and for increasing personal economic opportunity – the foundation of America’s economic vitality and strength. Transportation networks are fundamental to how we grow, develop and prosper.

The federal surface transportation program directly influences how states, regions and cities invest in transportation.  To a significant degree it determines what the country’s transportation networks – interstate, regional and local – will be and how they will function.

Between May and October, 2008, Jim Charlier and Vickie Jacobsen worked with the T4 Executive Committee and other committees to develop the T4 Platform.  The T4 coalition and its partners are now actively talking with Congressional committees as part of the initial stages of preparing the new surface transportation bill.  They are also actively working with Congress on elements of a proposed public works economic stimulus bill, applying concepts developed for and described in the Platform.

Platform_v9.pdf

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