Transportation For America Serving to communities at each stage

Serving to communities at each stage

Transportation for America and Good Development America’s technical help companies assist communities in any respect totally different levels of their efforts to enhance transportation of their communities. In a set of tasks funded by AARP this yr in communities throughout the nation, we helped companions work on coverage, planning, advocacy schooling and relationship constructing.

Transportation for America does its work by technical help, thought management and advocacy. As a part of our technical help work, for the previous seven years, we’ve been supported by AARP to do small technical help tasks serving to companions enhance transportation of their communities, no matter stage they could be in. This yr was no exception. Tasks in six totally different communities: Vermont; Albuquerque, NM; Fort Wayne, IN; San Diego, CA; Georgia; and Hawai’i; showcased the various alternative ways we can assist.

Coverage and funding in Vermont

The inexperienced mountain state is rural, and has snowy winters, in addition to state highways working by a whole lot of particular, walkable small cities with distinctive character. AARP Vermont, in partnership with the Vermont Company on Transportation and the Vermont League of Cities and Cities is exploring choices to handle state highways that go by cities and cities all through the state. These highways could have initially been constructed for larger pace automotive and truck visitors which is incompatible with extra walkable environments that many communities want to foster of their downtowns.

Vermont’s “Class 1 City Freeway” (C1TH) program has been in place for years to assist cities take over administration of state highways inside city limits in an effort to implement extra walkable designs, however challenges round upkeep prices, significantly for snow elimination, have held this system up. To assist tackle this T4America carried out analysis on coverage and funding options that different northern states and Canadian provinces have used to handle this problem. Suggestions embody state legislative motion to handle funding challenges, better flexibility for localities to lift funding, VTRans assist for design adjustments as a part of the freeway reclassification course of, and quick-build demonstration tasks to assist communities envision the probabilities. AARP Vermont plans to make use of our analysis to tell conversations in Vermont’s subsequent legislative session on tackle this problem.

Coverage and planning for an age-friendly Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico is motivated to develop into a extra age-friendly metropolis. They’ve devoted workers engaged on an Age-Pleasant Motion Plan (AFAP) with domains in public engagement, housing and transportation, and annual progress studies. For 2 years, T4America has supplied evaluation of this plan in relation to different metropolis plans, and helped Albuquerque to focus its efforts on near-term wins that may construct a basis for long run change and a paradigm shift.

T4America’s suggestions included updating the cities Full Streets coverage, integrating housing and public transit plannings, and searching for alternatives to encourage public transit ridership and consciousness.

Getting of us on the identical web page in San Diego

In T4A’s work with the San Diego area, AARP requested us to assist with extra normal schooling on Full Streets. With many engaged advocates able to work on this difficulty, AARP deliberate an academic collection of workshops to activate native companions and businesses to advance robust Full Streets and Imaginative and prescient Zero insurance policies in additional jurisdictions within the area. Workers from our Thriving Communities staff have been capable of present level-setting info on what makes for a robust Full Streets coverage, whereas encouraging native jurisdictions to develop insurance policies or enhance those they have already got.

Full blown advocacy in Fort Wayne

Final yr, we labored with Fort Wayne, Indiana, doing one thing similar to what we did this yr with San Diego. Having supplied an evaluation of Fort Wayne’s Full Streets decision, which doesn’t carry the pressure of regulation, advocates in Fort Wayne have been prepared this yr to work with their council and a brand new mayor to get a robust Full Streets coverage adopted. They already had the technical instruments to develop a robust coverage, however wanted assist with win the political assist of the mayor and council, and the way finest to work with metropolis workers with blended views a few coverage change.

On this case T4America developed an advocacy framework to assist native advocates establish the steps towards constructing energy and assist for the coverage change they sought. This included plans for constructing relationships with decision-makers, powermapping to establish channels of affect, and proposals for growing efficient messages and communications to undergird the advocacy effort.

Relationships, dedication and energy in Georgia

Our challenge in Georgia this yr was just a little totally different than the remaining. Our Affiliate VP for Transportation Steve Davis moderated a panel of leaders convened by AARP Georgia. Getting main leaders speaking publicly in regards to the enhancements they plan to make of their communities can construct their dedication to observe by with their plans and construct nearer relationships with the advocates who convened them. AARP Georgia has been utilizing this strategy to develop the variety of cities within the peach state dedicated to age-friendly insurance policies like Full Streets, higher public transit and housing choices.

Past transportation

Our father or mother group, Good Development America, makes use of transportation and land use methods to assist thriving, wholesome communities. As a part of our technical help tasks supported by AARP, our Land Use and Growth Director of Analysis Michael Rodriguez analyzed the reasonably priced housing provide in Hawai’i. The work culminated in direct testimony to the Hawai’i Senate Committee on Housing. Study extra right here.

Transportation for America and Good Development America’s technical help choices embody work much like that described above and way more. Should you assume we could be of help in your neighborhood in a means that matches with our mission and yours, and you’ve got a supply of funding to assist the work, get in contact!