A few things to know this week: May 28, 2021
This week’s things to know:
Bipartisan, $304B Roads Bill Clears Senate Committee
Republicans Release Latest Infrastructure Counteroffer (Route Fifty)
On Wednesday a Senate committee unanimously approved a nearly $304 billion measure to set federal spending levels and policy for road, bridge and highway programs over the next five fiscal years. Thursday, Republicans issued an updated proposal bumping the amount to $928B after discussions with the White House. The increased amount is great (and needed), but unfortunately, it should be called the SPrawl And Roadway Expansion (SPARE) bill, because that's what it is. The proposal will send billions of dollars to widen and expand roadway networks, exacerbating sprawl and the negative fiscal, environmental, and social impacts we're already trying to mitigate. Maintenance or #fixitfirst initiatives are not clearly prioritized, and just a tiny amount (percentage-wise) was tossed at bike/ped. It's sad, but predictable. Transportation 4 America director Beth Osborne had this to say, and I could not agree with her more. In Beth's words, "status quo is sending us backwards." I'll keep watching how things progress with negotiations and report back again next week. I'm still hopeful that the final version will prioritize maintenance over expansion for roads and bridges and give cities a real incentive to build out bike/ped networks that are safe and extensive enough to catalyze the shift in local mobility that our communities need.-Kevin
Is This the World’s Most Aging-Friendly City? (Next City)
Creating cities that are as welcoming to our aging population as they are to the rest of us is a need that is never going away. The good news is, there are lots of small and creative things you can do - in addition of course, to adequate housing to age in place or provide supportive care - to do this in your own community. Check out how this community provides a higher quality of life with a $24,000 a year budget and only a staff of two! -AJ
Transportation For America Release: Transportation for America on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 (Transportation for America)
Local Governments Look for Resident Input to Guide How Federal Aid is Spent (Route Fifty)
The American Rescue Plan is sending $350 billion in federal funding to local governments. Unlike the CARES act where most of the funding was focused on dealing specifically with testing,vaccinations, and other pandemic related items, the range of ways the ARP money can be used is broad, giving cities and states flexibility to use it for recovery, investment, or a combination. Many cities are seeking feedback from residents on how they would like to see the funding used, an excellent step toward building the culture of trust and collaboration so many communities lack. Is it challenging to manage expectations with a survey process like this? Absolutely, but it is the right way to go about community engagement, especially when you're talking about millions of dollars that those same people are ultimately paying for. -Kevin
How an obese town lost a million pounds (TED)
Oklahoma City doesn't often get enough credit for having a very important conversation all cities should be having: how does the built environment and land use pattern influence the public health of its residents? This is a short TED talk (15 minutes) from 2013 about how OKC began making changes to improve mobility and public health. It's a timeless discussion. Enjoy! -AJ
How Bakersfield, California Ended Chronic Homelessness (Next City)
How do you improve the homeless situation in your city? Here are some suggestions from Bakersfield, CA, where they reduced their chronic homeless population from 72 to 2 in three years. -Kevin
Grab a Dictionary, Save the Republic (Governing)
In our work with communities, we emphasize the importance of establishing a common language to frame discussions and decisions, as well as the benefits of increasing the "civic IQ" of residents. We're always looking for resources to share to help communities do this, and we've found another. Distressed at the dearth of civic understanding in the United States, Ed Hagenstein worked for over two decades to create The Language of Liberty: A Citizen’s Vocabulary. Billed by its author as “an owner’s manual for American citizens,” the book takes its readers through 101 political terms that Hagenstein thinks any citizen needs to understand in order to actively and intelligently participate in civic life. Check out the book and give this podcast a listen! -Kevin
Allendale Strong Episode #14 - Norm Marshall of Smart Mobility Inc.
Allendale Strong Episode #14 Part 2 - Norm Marshall of Smart Mobility Inc. (Allendale Strong)
In Shreveport, a local neighborhood group has been working for many years to push back against a planned local Highway through the center of the City. These two podcasts episodes from that group feature Norm Marshall from Smart Mobility, Inc. in an interview covering traffic modeling, traffic projections, and other topics. It's a fascinating look into a specific example of how transportation investments favor one mode of travel. -Tim
Local Governments' Underused Resource for Building Local Jobs (Governing)
The pandemic forced many cities, their local businesses, and residents to find new ways to support each other. Long established rules and silos were broken down in order to survive. Now, as we begin the recovery, decisions have to be made on how to move forward. This article offers some suggestions for the role local government can play in cultivating a resilient, self-sustaining economy and workforce. -Kevin
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