Photo from flickr user Complete Streets
The state of the nation’s transportation infrastructure continues to be at the forefront of national dialogue. With the dwindling funds from Washington, state and local governments are becoming increasingly innovative in their efforts to modernize and fund transportation projects.
Metropolitan areas and localities are simultaneously becoming talking points in the national economic dialogue as “metro economies,” which has also led to the emergence of successful ‘have’ and struggling ‘have not’ metros. As national transportation policy and funding patterns continue to change and adapt, perhaps localized investment in transportation infrastructure will bridge together these two groups.
The Federal Government and Transportation
Last year’s Federal Transportation Bill, passed by the House and Senate, extended federal highway, rail, and transit programs for two years. The legislation authorized $120 billion in spending, or roughly $54 billion a year- essentially averting crisis for federal transportation projects all across the nation.
This legislation follows the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Through ‘stimulus funds,’ the ARRA aimed to stimulate the national economy, create and expand job opportunities, and address infrastructure challenges. A major component of addressing infrastructure was the allocation of funding for construction and repair of roads.
According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the ARRA has been influential in pushing the modernization of the nation’s infrastructure. This map from the DOT shows the number of ARRA projects in each state, totaling 15,217 nationwide projects (Jan. 2013). The ARRA’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program is providing funding for the very recently approved modernization program of the California statewide rail system, headed by the California High Speed Rail Authority.
The Metropolitan Approach to National Infrastructure
Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, suggests looking at the efforts to shift to a more productive economy through the “lens of transportation.” Federal stimulus funds and the two-year funding extension only reach so far, however, leaving a looming uncertainty for state and metropolitan planning agencies.
States and localities are developing new ways to fund and build transportation infrastructure. Long before the 2012 Federal Transportation Bill and ARRA, states and localities nationwide were adopting their own transportation policy: complete streets. Today, 500 states and localities have a complete streets policy.
According to Smart Growth America’s National Complete Streets Coalition program, streets are important to the livability of communities and should be designed with the consideration of all users- whether bicyclists, public transit riders, or pedestrians. In other words, Complete Streets addresses the equitability of transportation infrastructure and networks.
Hinting of a Joint Approach
The movement to “complete” streets by building safer, more livable, and more welcoming road networks has recently picked up speed. Last week, representatives from the National Complete Streets Coalition gathered at a briefing on Capitol Hill to make the case for a complete streets policy and the proposed Safe Streets Act.
The Safe Streets Act, proposed by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), would ensure that federal transportation projects provide long-lasting equitable access and safety. This Act also has implications for traffic congestion relief and addresses environmental concerns, such as air pollution.
According to Rep. Matsui, “Too many of the roads in our country are designed solely with drivers in mind. The risks of such design are evident in the number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries we see every year, and often discourage more people from considering other transportation methods.”
Testing Out the Complete Streets Policy: The Better Block
I recently had the privilege to talk with Andrew Howard of The Better Block. According to its website, The Better Block project is a “demonstration tool” that engages and promotes community involvement in the planning and design processes of transportation infrastructure development. The Better Block works mostly with cities because, as Howard put it- “they are the innovators.”
Because there is less funding for transportation, there is a simultaneous need to spend less time planning and designing, and more time doing and building. The Better Block seeks to change the project delivery process through “innovative interim design.” Their philosophy is to not get stuck in the planning process and thwarted by the fears of change. The cities The Better Block works with have their own planning processes, but The Better Block helps to augment public outreach and get whole communities involved. Thus, there is a great deal of authenticity added to transportation projects because these projects are designed and built by the community and volunteers.
In recent projects, The Better Block has been testing out the “complete streets” idea. Something unique with The Better Block’s approach to complete streets is the importance placed on the private sector- which is oftentimes overlooked. For example, it seems counterintuitive to have bike lanes without places to bike to. The Better Block integrates pop-up shops to encourage a new streetscape and to facilitate a more vibrant economy.
To see if The Better Block has been to your city, this map shows and describes the projects completed and underway. The Better Block just returned from a project in Australia- cities up next include Toronto, Fresno, CA, and Boston.
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Jenna Chilingerian is a CEOs for Cities Summer Success Fellow. Jenna is a Fresno, California native and recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Jenna received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Civic Engagement, and earned both College Honors and Summa Cum Laude Latin Honors. She recently moved to Cleveland, Ohio to complete a summer City Success Fellowship with CEOs for Cities.