Engaging with Congress on Climate Change Solutions

Nobody likes to be trapped in bad traffic, on pothole-ridden roads, with no other means of transportation for going where they want to go. Yet too often that is the reality for a considerable number of Americans. Two-thirds of our citizens lack access to public transportation and nearly half of the roads in the United States are in poor condition. With the most recent extension of the transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21), set to expire this May, there is an urgent need for a new bill to provide long-term financing for the launch of multiyear transportation projects.

More and more Americans want access to transportation choices such as bikes, buses, and trains. The first step in making sure these improvements are funded in the new transportation bill is to inform Congressional staff and other key stakeholders on the issues at hand.

You are helping EESI draw attention to this issue through your continued Global Giving support. For example, in a briefing on April 9 that you helped support called “Stand Up for Transportation” speakers addressed the impacts that would be incurred with the loss of federal funding for transit, as is currently proposed by The Drive Act of 2015 and The Highway Restoration Act of 2015. Speakers also addressed how 70 percent of federal transit investments would result in private-sector jobs and boost both the local and national economy. Your gift to EESI helps us collect information to take to Capitol Hill and reach out to the policy community.

Thanks to your support, EESI, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) highlighted these critical transportation issues and solutions in a March 10^th briefing.

With a series of briefings, you’ve helped shine a light on what Congress needs to do to fix America’s transportation system – especially the need to increase the availability of public transportation options. When the highway association and the public transportation association got together to write a report on the nation's transportation needs, they found that roughly $163 billion would be needed over each of the next six years - 63 percent more than the $100 billion a year that is currently being invested by the public sector. In the March 10^th briefing you helped inform policymakers on the findings of the report.

These investments would make your transportation safer, faster, and provide more mobility options. Better transportation means better access to jobs and other opportunities. An increase in public transit investment, in particular, would reduce roadway congestion, further improving access. This increased investment in transportation would ultimately strengthen the economy and the environment in both the short and long terms.

Thanks so much for your support through Global Giving and for helping make a difference in our nation’s transportation-related challenges!

Links:

• You can get involved!
• The Transportation Clock is Ticking - Briefing Summary and Video
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