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Archive for the ‘Policy’ Category

Financing U.S. Transportation Infrastructure in the 21st Century

Tuesday, May 12th, 2015
FIGURE 1. Public Infrastructure Spending by Federal, State, and Local Governments, 1956–2014

THE HAMILTON PROJECT
Most Americans feel the burden of a weakening transportation infrastructure. The evidence is right in front of us: in poor road and bridge conditions, aging airports and seaports, weak passenger rail service, and inadequate public transportation. Most economists and government leaders agree on the merits of upgrading these systems to improve productivity, global competitiveness, and job creation. Most also agree that our nation would benefit from federal action on infrastructure. There are disagreements, however, on which investments to make and how to pay for them, and these disagreements have led to counterproductive inaction.

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Who Pays For Roads?

Friday, May 8th, 2015
Figure 1. Percentage of Highway Spending from Various Sources, All Levels of Government

FRONTIER GROUP
U.S. PIRG EDUCATION FUND
Many Americans believe that drivers pay the full cost of the roads they use through gas taxes and other user fees. That has never been true, and it is less true now than at any other point in modern times. Today, general taxes paid by all taxpayers cover nearly as much of the cost of building and maintaining highways as the gas tax and other fees paid by drivers. The purchasing power of gasoline taxes has declined as a result of inflation, improved vehicle fuel economy, and the recent stagnation in driving. As a result, so-called “user fees” cover a shrinking share of transportation costs.

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The Future of San Francisco Infrastructure

Friday, May 1st, 2015

This video is about National Infrastructure Day

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State Funding Initiatives Report

Thursday, April 30th, 2015
2015 STATE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING INITIATIVES

TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT ADVOCACY CENTER
Nine states— La., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.H., N.J., S.C., Texas, Wash.— are currently considering legislation to increase their gas tax or sales tax on gasoline.

Three states— Conn., La., and Texas— are currently considering legislation to protect their transportation funds from diversions.

Three states— Ark., Mich., and Mo.— have pending legislation to convert the flat-rate excise tax on fuel entirely to a variable-rate tax. Additionally, a bill in Maine proposes indexing the flat gas tax to the Consumer Price Index.

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What is GROW AMERICA?

Thursday, April 30th, 2015

This animated video explains the key features of the Obama Administration’s GROW AMERICA Act and why we need to move forward on a long-term surface transportation bill.

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Guest on The Infra Blog: Scott Bricker, Director, America Walks

Wednesday, April 29th, 2015
Scott Bricker, Director, America Walks

Scott Bricker has worked for over fifteen years to make communities healthy and sustainable through bicycling, walking and urban design. Scott is proud to serve as the Director of America Walks, the only national organization dedicated to improving all aspects of walking in America.

…providing safe and accommodating walking routes for people effectively ensures that everyone has equal access to services and employment, education, recreation, where people play and pray, et cetera. It’s a fundamental aspect of equal mobility access. There’s also a fair amount of research that shows that communities that are walkable, that have places that are close to each other, are economically vibrant.

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Quadrennial Energy Review: Energy Storage, Transmission, and Distribution Infrastructure

Monday, April 27th, 2015
Figure SPM-2. Historic and Projected U.S. Emissions under Obama Administration Targets

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

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Evaluating Complete Streets Projects: A Guide for Practitioners

Monday, April 27th, 2015
TABLE 1: Recommended access measures and metrics

SMART GROWTH AMERICA
AARP
Across the country, government agencies are working to meet residents’ demands to be more responsive, transparent, and accountable in decisions and investments. Transportation agencies are not exempt from this call—and they face the additional challenges of dwindling capital and maintenance budgets. Performance measures, in the broad sense, provide a quantitative and, sometimes, qualitative indicator of potential or actual performance of a specific street, a corridor, or of the whole transportation network.

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Brookings Institution: Pat Mulroy on Climate Change & Water Scarcity

Friday, April 24th, 2015

The impact of climate change is going to play itself out in the water arena says Brookings Senior Fellow Pat Mulroy, former general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. She discusses the crisis Southern Nevada faced during one of the worst droughts in the history of the Colorado River.

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Get Ready for Infrastructure Week 2015

Tuesday, April 21st, 2015
Infrastructure Week 2015: May 11 -15

Infrastructure Week 2015 is almost here. This year, be sure to join us in advocating for comprehensive infrastructure investment and a better future for our nation as a whole. Events will take place “in Washington, D.C., around America, and on the internet,” from May 11th to 15th.

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