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The federal government can’t neglect transit operations funds any longer

The most costly aspect of transit is funding its operations, and for decades this has fallen mainly on states and localities that are already struggling financially. The federal government has invested heavily in transit capital, but the big next steps are to improve efficiency and

Getting America’s passenger rail back on track requires a radically different approach

$66 billion was dedicated to rail in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), but this historic amount was directed into a federal structure that has repeatedly failed to efficiently manage passenger rail projects, including those already funded. We cannot afford to repeat that experience.

Five reasons why IIJA will expire without a replacement in September 2026

The general consensus starting to emerge around Washington these days amongst all the transportation trade groups, some in the media, and many legislators on Capitol Hill is that Congress will definitely pass a new five-year transportation law when the current one expires next September, and

Dragging the federal transportation system into the 21st century

We’re more than a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Yet we still measure and evaluate our transportation program like it’s 1965. The next reauthorization must drag this system into the modern era.The built environment that most Americans know today is defined by

The Trump administration is implementing funds for safety grants at about ten percent of the speed of the previous administration

The Trump administration talks a big game about streamlining requirements and reviews. Speed is not everything, but when we evaluate the rates of getting actual dollars out the door and into real projects, it appears that politicized review requirements may be slowing down grant obligations

The next reauthorization is an opportunity to get rural transit right

Transit is not (and never has been) exclusive to urban cities, and this upcoming reauthorization is another opportunity to create a transportation system that works for everyone, including those who live in more rural places. In order to ensure transit’s effectiveness in small towns and

Congress’s new budget reconciliation bill takes back billions from locally-led projects across the country

We found that up to $4.7 billion in competitive grants promised to existing, awarded grantees across the country and billions more for financing climate projects will now be rescinded following the passage of H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. And that’s just the grants.Provisions

How reauthorization can halt the highway harm

Transportation for America’s Fix it First principle is not just about fixing our crumbling roads before building new ones. We must also look at policies to fundamentally repair the communities that have been historically harmed and divided by the highway system and put a stop

New report highlights the nation’s best Complete Streets policies

A new report from Smart Growth America evaluates and ranks the strongest Complete Streets policies adopted in 2023 and 2024, spotlighting the communities taking bold steps to make their streets safer and more accessible for everyone who uses them. These policies—ranging from large metros like

Unlocking the benefits of transit-oriented development

It’s time to make the most of our limited federal transit money by encouraging and incentivizing more transit-oriented development, and by using the value that transit creates to improve, expand, and support more transit service in more places.Introduction to Invest in the RestInvest in the