Issue / Environment
As a means to an end, it is important that the transportation system be accessible and usable by different types of people aiming to get to different places. Federal rules for accessibility and nondiscrimination are behind most funding streams, and local rules also augment requirements to make the transportation system usable for everyone. Transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the US. While automobiles have become more efficient over time due to fuel efficiency and emissions standards, these improvements are offset by an overall increase in vehicle miles traveled. Increased demand for trucking and air travel have contributed toward emissions. Proposals for achieving transportation emissions reduction goals at all levels of government include electrification, increased investment in active and shared transportation, and improved land use.
Op-Ed: Incorporating Sustainability in Airport Planning
Aug 13, 2021 | Caroline MareteAirports are a critical part of the U.S. transportation infrastructure as they play a key role in the economy and in connecting...
Critics: ‘big and bold’ infrastructure bill falls short on helping states fight climate change
Aug 05, 2021 | Jeff DavisIt also includes $107 billion for transit, a 65% boost, according to an analysis by Jeff Davis, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan...
Where does the infrastructure compromise deal leave EV charging?
Aug 01, 2021 | Jeff Davis“If a reconciliation bill emerges with 10 digits of guaranteed EV rebate money, that will go a long way towards reassuring...
Infrastructure bill’s climate-change features face tricky path over money for electric cars
Jul 30, 2021 | Jeff Davis“If a reconciliation bill emerges with 10 digits of guaranteed EV rebate money, that will go a long way towards reassuring...
Climate crisis turns world’s subways into flood zones
Jul 26, 2021 | Robert PuentesRetrofitting subways against flooding is “an enormous undertaking,” said Robert Puentes, chief executive of the Eno Center for...
A symbol of freedom or a 4,000 pound tool of destruction? The car’s legacy faces a reckoning
Jul 16, 2021 | Karen PriceAnalysis: Electric bus maker BYD shows China complications in Biden climate push
Jul 14, 2021 | Jeff Davis"It's very difficult with the current manufacturing infrastructure in this country and with BYD out of the process, to imagine getting...
House Climate Crisis Select Committee Considers Transportation Priorities
Jul 02, 2021 | Brianne EbyOn June 30, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing, “Transportation Investments for Solving the Climate...
Electric Vehicle Credits and Alternative Fuels Provisions Included in Senate’s Clean Energy Act
May 28, 2021 | Katie DonahueOn May 26th, the Senate Finance Committee held a markup of the "Clean Energy Act," advancing the legislation with a 14 to 14 vote tie...
House T&I Examines Private Sector Role in Addressing Climate
Mar 19, 2021 | Brianne EbyOn March 17, the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing titled “The Business Case for Climate...
Next on Democrats’ agenda, a “holistic” infrastructure bill
Mar 15, 2021 | Jeff Davis“Infrastructure is more of a long-term economic stimulus than a short-term economic stimulus, because capital programs like building...
When It Comes To Clean Energy, USPS Delivery Trucks Don’t Yet Answer The Mail
Mar 10, 2021 | Robert PuentesWhile the Postal Service moves slowly toward adopting electric vehicles, Robert Puentes says Biden is on the right track in pushing for...
March 28, 2019 The transportation sector is the fastest growing contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S., accounting for 28.7% of total carbon dioxide emissions in 2017. According to a 2019 report from the Environmental Protection Agency, GHG emissions from transportation...