Federal Funding
Basics
Biden’s First ‘Mega Grants’ Contain Some Mega Wins — And Mega Fails
A new federal "megagrant" program will fund major safety and transit projects that have been at the top of sustainable transportation advocates' wishlists for years ... along with business-as-usual highway expansion projects that could negate those mega-gains.
February 6, 2023
Half of Americans Will Get Vision Zero Plans in New Federal Grant
More than half of the U.S. population will soon live in cities or counties with a Safe Streets action plan in place, thanks to a wave of new funding from. Washington.
February 2, 2023
Congress’s Messy ‘Fix-It-First’ Fight Heats Up
A long-fought effort to get states to spend more of their federal infrastructure dollars on fixing highways rather than building new ones is in peril in the newly GOP-lead head house — and if it succeeds, it could force President Biden to take an unprecedented stand in favor of progressive road priorities.
January 23, 2023
Federal Funding Bill Contains $45M for New Active Transportation Program
That great news was soured slightly, though, by the very small dollar figure attached to it.
December 22, 2022
Midterm Races that Sustainable Transportation Advocates Are Watching
Sustainable transportation is on Tuesday's ballot in communities across America — and advocates say that several of the most important aspects our federal transportation future may hang in the balance, too.
November 7, 2022
What the Inflation Reduction Act Will — And Won’t — Do For Sustainable Transportation
The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by channeling funding through tax credits, loans, and grants — but it's not a silver bullet.
September 23, 2022
RAISE Grants to Fund Complete Streets in Nearly Every State
The first recipients of a newly expanded major transportation grant program will deliver significant money for biking, walking and transit — and even some road projects that federal transportation leaders say will help non-drivers, too.
August 11, 2022
Instead of Just Buying American EVs, Let’s Buy an American Path Out of Car Dependency
Automakers are warning that they won't be able to meet demand for electric cars while also divesting from foreign supply chains — prompting some advocates to demand a decarbonization strategy that doesn't require 1,000-pound batteries.
August 4, 2022
What’s in the New ‘Climate’ Deal for Sustainable Transport — And What’s Not
The Senate is on the brink of passing one of the most robust climate spending bills in U.S. history — but sustainable transportation advocates say it won't do enough to decarbonize the transportation sector.
July 29, 2022
An Interstate Across America — For Everyone Besides Drivers, That Is — Would Pay For Itself in No Time
A continuous cross-continental active transportation trail would pay for itself in less than five years in visitor spending alone, a new analysis argues — and it could have a big impact on the car-free transportation landscape in the communities it runs through, too.
May 19, 2022