Transportation – NewDEAL

Colorado Senator Dylan Roberts and Representative Meghan Lukens Sponsored Bills to Provide Tax Credits for Passenger Rail and Small Businesses in Rural Colorado

actualize — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:33:44 +0000

Colorado: Governor Polis signed two bills sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts and Representative Meghan Lukens that will invest in rural communities to spur development. The first bill aims to make passenger rail in the mountains more sustainable by providing tax credits to incentivize businesses and operators to utilize freight lines at risk of inactivity due to the transition from coal. The other bill extends a state grant and tax credit program to support small businesses in rural Colorado communities. Reauthorizing the Rural Jump-Start Program provides financial assistance to qualified businesses in economically distressed counties. “This rural jump-start program allows small businesses to get started and get support and help communities diversify their economies,” said Roberts.

Mayor Kate Gallego Secured $1.2 Million Grant to Enhance Transportation Options

actualize — Tue, 07 May 2024 19:34:51 +0000

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has secured a $1.2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to enhance transportation options within the city. The Transit Oriented Development (TOD) grant will improve public transit access, connecting residents to essential destinations without heavy reliance on cars and advancing Gallego’s vision of Phoenix becoming a more transit-oriented and walkable city. During the Ideas Summit, the Mayor took part in a transportation breakout session to discuss how cities are exploring a variety of transit options like light rail, micro-transit, and, in Phoenix, Waymo’s autonomous vehicles, providing options that are helping reduce congestion, emissions, and pedestrian and vehicle crashes.

Missouri: St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones Released Plan of American Rescue Plan Funding to Improve Street Safety

actualize — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:46:02 +0000

Missouri: St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a new map outlining the timeline and breakdown of recently appropriated American Rescue Plan Act funding to improve street conditions and safety throughout the city. The roadmap utilized data to identify 10 hot-spot intersections and corridors in need of repavement and safety enhancements. Construction and improvements will be made over the next several years.

The City will spend $3.5 million to address intersections of interest. Much of this funding will repave and repaint around 32 miles of city streets.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson Initiates Road Safety Study with Federal Funds

actualize — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:58:42 +0000

Wisconsin: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is partnering with the federal government and county to improve road safety in the city with a $400,000 grant. Johnson has called for more bicycle lanes and street improvements, noting they create connectivity between neighborhoods, and has previously announced plans to invest in 50 miles of protected bicycle lanes. This study will examine potential traffic-calming methods and whether shared bus-bike lanes will prove to be safer and effective.

Delegate Brooke Lierman: New Infrastructure Plans Rolling Out

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:26:34 +0000

Following the signing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NewDEALers are poised to lead in directing investments to long-overdue projects that will impact the economic vitality of their communities. Many NewDEAL Leaders are already taking action on these priorities. Delegate Brooke Lierman’s Maryland Transit Safety & Investment Act overcame a gubernatorial veto and is set to eliminate the state’s $2 billion public transportation maintenance backlog by spending nearly half a billion dollars each year for repairs and enhancements. In Nevada, Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft celebrated the groundbreaking of a long-awaited bridge project which first received federal funding in the 1990s. “This bridge is an important transportation element and it is also critical for emergency responders,” Naft said. Elsewhere, the Boston Council approved newly-elected Mayor Michelle Wu’s $8 million plan for three of the city’s bus lines to go fare-free, an important step towards making the city’s transportation equitable and accessible. The program will utilize federal funding, and early numbers suggest that ridership will be significantly boosted by the measure.

Councilmember Raul Campillo: Connecting Seniors to Affordable Transportation

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:20:00 +0000

Recently, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo announced the launch of the FACT pilot program, or Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation, in coordination with local community groups. The program will subsidize rides for seniors who do not have access to cars, allowing them to get basic needs like groceries and medical prescriptions, with charges of $2.50 for rides shorter than 5 miles and $10 dollars for rides longer than 20.1 miles. Read more info about the program, which local senior centers praised as a great improvement to the quality of life for seniors in the community.

Senator Marko Liias: Transformational Transportation Future for Washington

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:09:03 +0000

Earlier this month, the Washington legislature passed NewDEAL Leader Senator Marko Liias’ $17 billion “Move Ahead Washington” transportation package. The wide-reaching legislation, which evolved out of over 90 public listening sessions, includes money for highway construction, bridge repairs, transit programs, environmental safeguards, and full electrification of the state’s ferry fleet. Children will also ride free on buses, ferries, and trains as a result of the package. The package utilizes funding from multiple sources, including the federal government and revenue from the state’s new cap-and-trade system. “We’re investing in projects from rural to urban areas across our state,” Liias said. “And all without punting the cost to working families.” Read more here.

Senator Eddie Melton: Bipartisan Bill Revitalizes Gary, IN

actualize — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:03:04 +0000

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed SEA 434 – an innovative economic development bill sponsored and championed by NewDEAL Leader Indiana Senator Eddie Melton – into law this week. Senate Enrolled Act 434, which was introduced by Senator Melton back in January, matches new gaming revenue with local dollars for economic investments in the Lake County region. With these funds, the bill establishes the Lake County Convention and Economic Development Fund; creates the Blighted Property Demolition Fund to address the over 6,000 abandoned properties in the region; and invests in the revitalization of the Gary Metro Station to meet the goals of the state’s Double Tracking project. “SEA 434 represents new beginnings and opportunities for the people of Gary who have long been ready for change,” Senator Melton expressed at the bill’s signing. SEA 434 represents a pragmatic, bipartisan win for Melton and for all of Indiana, with the bill passing by a 49-1 vote.

Senator Eddie Melton’s Bipartisan Bill Revitalizes Gary, IN

Rachel Walsh — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:40:26 +0000

Mayor Steven Reed: Expanding Transportation System in Montgomery

actualize — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:27:33 +0000

TRANSPORTATION – Alabama: Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed will allocate $6.5 million in local and federal COVID relief funding to expand the city’s transportation system. Reed aims to reach more residents by using a new app-based system to deploy new buses and vans to increase the area of service with more frequent and reliable transportation. “We believe public transportation is important because it serves as the biggest economic inhibitor for those who are trying to get from one level economically to the next,” Reed said.