While Safe Routes to School advocates are all convinced about the grave need for safety improvements around schools to make sure kids and families can be active and safe, not all state Departments of Transportation are on the same page.
We are in the midst of interesting times in Washington, DC. As has been widely reported, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act was pulled from the House after Republicans could not craft a bill that would get enough votes to pass. That means that the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which would have been eliminated after 2018, survives for now. This program supports a wide range of health initiatives around the country, including efforts to increase physical activity through active transportation.
Last night, in his address to Congress, President Trump revisited his campaign promise of a big new investment in infrastructure. He called upon Congress to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure package, using a combination of public and private investment.
We have one last victory to report at Secretary Foxx’s US Department of Transportation. USDOT has significantly rewritten their proposed system performance measures after receiving significant pressure from advocates like you. We owe a big thank you to everyone who weighed in and to USDOT for listening.
The new Congress convened for the first time this week, setting its rules and electing its leaders. The Senate will quickly move to confirmation hearings on President-Elect Trump’s nominees to head various agencies, including Elaine Chao to serve as Secretary of Transportation. Congress will move quickly on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, though new infrastructure funding is likely to wait until at least late spring.
Now, nearly a month after Election Day, Washington is in the full swing of the transition between administrations and there’s constantly changing speculation about policies and personnel. While we can’t predict what will happen, we can review what information has come to light thus far and the impact it might have on Safe Routes to School and healthy communities.
In September, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a new Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation, which will guide their spending and initiatives for the next five years.
Back in May, we asked you to take action against the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) proposed “system performance measures” that would have measured the speed of cars and trucks in seven different ways, while devoting no measures at all to people walking, bicycling, and taking transit.