radhika fox april_6_2011

Transportation Equity from the National to the Local

Portland, Oregon April 5, 2011

Radhika Fox, Federal Policy Director PolicyLink

Who Gets Access?

About PolicyLink

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works®.

Unemployment

March 2011:

•  National - 8.8% –  Whites - 7.9% –  Blacks - 15.5% –  Hispanics - 11.3%

•  Oregon - 10.2%

•  Portland - 10%

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Transportation Investment = Jobs

•  Every $1 billion invested in public transportation capital/operations creates or supports: –  36,000 jobs –  $3.6 billion in business sales –  Nearly $500 million in federal, state and local tax

revenues (Economic Development Research Group)

•  Repair work on roads and bridges generates 16% more jobs than construction of new roads and bridges. (Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Mass.)

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Transportation Inequity

Inadequate Transportation Access and High Costs Stifle Access to Opportunity

•  Transportation is the second largest expense for households in the United States, costing more than food, clothing, and health care. (National Complete Streets Coalition)

•  Low- and moderate-income households spend 42% of their total annual income that on transportation, including those who live in rural areas, as compared to middle-income households, who spend less than 22% of their annual income on transportation. (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey 2000)

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Inadequate Transportation Access and High Costs Stifle Access to Opportunity

•  Center for Neighborhood Technology has developed a baseline for housing affordability – to be affordable a family should spend no more than 45% on housing and transportation combined.

In Portland, families spend 59%: –  31% of income on transportation –  28% of income spent on housing

(CNT H+T Index from A Heavy Load, Center for Housing Policy 2006)


Fewer Economic Opportunities Associated with Building Our Nation’s Infrastructure

•  In the transportation construction industry, only 6% of employees are African American and 2.5% are women, far below their shares of the U.S. workforce. (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008)


Local and Regional Governments Struggle to Provide Adequate Transportation Options

•  More than 80% of the nation’s transit systems are considering or have recently enacted fare increases or service cuts, including reductions in rush-hour service, off-peak service and geographic coverage. (American Public Transportation Association)


Local and Regional Governments Struggle to Provide Adequate Transportation Options

•  Over the past decade, TriMet has raised its fares by 70%.

•  In a 2010, TriMet eliminated two bus lines and reduced the service hours for 10 bus lines.

(OPAL)

The Next Transportation Authorization: Working for Equitable Reform

•  Transportation for America is the largest, most diverse coalition working for a bold new vision for transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment, and a healthier America for all of us.

•  The Equity Caucus at Transportation for America — formed by the nation’s leading civil rights, community development, racial justice, economic justice, faith-based, health, housing, labor, environmental justice, tribal, public interest, women’s, and transportation organizations — drives transportation policies that advance economic and social equity in America. PolicyLink serves as Chair of the Equity Caucus at Transportation for America.

Members of the Equity Caucus at Transportation for America

Equity Caucus Policy Principles

1.  Create affordable transportation options for all people.

2.  Ensure fair access to quality jobs, workforce development, and contracting opportunities in the transportation industry.

3.  Promote healthy, safe, and inclusive communities.

4.  Invest equitably and focus on results.

The Next Transportation Authorization: Time for Transformation?

The Surface Transportation Authorization:

•  6th largest federal expenditure

•  Shapes how billions of dollars of transportation funding are spent in communities across this nation

We have an opportunity – one that arises only once every 5 to 6 years – to shape this important piece of legislation.

Political Landscape

•  Past transportation bills have been bi-partisan

•  Big Hurdle – the financing mechanism

•  House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has begun hearings and wants to have a bill ready for House vote by Memorial Day

•  Challenges: –  FY11 Appropriations process has included attacks on transit

and multi-modal transportation programs

•  Opportunities –  Exciting policy shifts have started from Administration

absent a bill •  FY12 Budget and Authorization principles with historic

investments in transit and continued investment in sustainable communities

Policy Idea #1

Affordable Transportation Options for All People

•  Preserve and expand resources for biking, walking, and public transportation

•  Give local communities flexibility to use federal funds to help operate local public transportation systems

Policy Idea #2

Job Access and Job Quality

•  Establish a Construction Careers Program

•  Create a Youth Transit Jobs Corps

•  Expand On the Job Training Program

Policy Idea #3

Healthy, Safe, and Inclusive Communities

•  Complete Streets

•  Safe Routes to School

•  Clean and Safe Ports

•  Health Impact Assessment Pilot Projects

•  Sustainable Communities Funding

Policy Idea #4

Invest Equitably and Focus on Results

•  Strategic planning that leads to better outcomes and more accountable decision making

•  Strengthen civil rights enforcement

Public Opinion on Transportation and Job Creation

Source: Rockefeller Foundation Transportation Survey Conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies

Public Opinion on Public Transportation


Public Opinion on Transportation and Energy Security


Public Opinion on Investment in Biking, Walking, and Public Transit


Radhika Fox PolicyLink

Federal Policy Director [email protected]

510.663.2333

radhika fox april_6_2011

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