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Okay, #TeamPete! We’ve all come to understand pretty well, thanks to how Pete and Chasten frequently illustrated through firsthand experience, how “politics is personal”. Many of us who’d not previously paid much attention to such a vitally important federal cabinet department https://twitter.com/MisfitMuser/status/1341051723687727104
like the U.S. Dept of Transportation were inspired to take interest following Pete’s recent nomination as DoT Secretary. Enthusiastically scrambling to familiarize ourselves with the various duties and responsibilities of the DoT itself, we’re now sharing our research with one
another to both support Pete Buttigieg’s efforts nationally and become better informed Americans in general. And by doing so, we’re also confirming the relationship between politics and our everyday lives, reiterating how our experiences are shaped by the policies and priorities
of specific government entities. Researching the DoT from the perspective of one who has lost job and educational opportunities because she couldn’t afford a reliable vehicle, who sometimes wouldn’t even be considered for a job because poor funding priorities made public transit
too unreliable or even unavailable for certain shifts or locations, I was struck again by how politics is indeed personal. When someone relies on public transit in order to access employment, health, educational or community services and social connections, quality of life can be
severely impacted when consistent transport is restricted. Where does the funding and coordination for improving public transit projects and infrastructure come from? Who is responsible for the expansion, safety and modernization of public transit affecting millions of Americans
who face transportation inequality and limited mobility in both rural and urban communities? Are the very communities whose members need improvements in mobility supposed to bear alone the cost of those improvements?
Introducing…-suspenseful drum roll-...The Federal Transit
Introducing…-suspenseful drum roll-...The Federal Transit
Administration (FTA)!
Since the signing of the Urban Mass Transportation Act in 1964, the main functions of this agency within the USDOT, renamed as the FTA in 1991, are to:
- Partner with State and local governments to create, improve and invest in public transportation
Since the signing of the Urban Mass Transportation Act in 1964, the main functions of this agency within the USDOT, renamed as the FTA in 1991, are to:
- Partner with State and local governments to create, improve and invest in public transportation
systems
- Provide financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries.
- Oversee and implement safety measures and help develop next-generation technology research
Work closely with State
- Provide financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries.
- Oversee and implement safety measures and help develop next-generation technology research
Work closely with State
and local governments and transportation planning organizations to provide Federal grant funding for nationwide transit services, an investment that modernizes public transportation, extends service into small cities and rural communities that previously lacked any transit
options, creates transit oriented places, helps manages traffic congestion, and promotes safe travel by transit.
- Provide Federal oversight of transit safety in coordination with the State
- Monitor grants and federally funded projects to confirm that grantees establish and
- Provide Federal oversight of transit safety in coordination with the State
- Monitor grants and federally funded projects to confirm that grantees establish and
and follow federally mandated legal, financial, and technical procedures.
Authorize grants to enable municipalities to invest in major transit infrastructure projects that yield additional benefits such as fostering the development of more economically vibrant communities.
Authorize grants to enable municipalities to invest in major transit infrastructure projects that yield additional benefits such as fostering the development of more economically vibrant communities.
Many transit investments promote walkable land uses that help municipalities make better use of valuable real estate near urban centers and provide opportunities for transit operators to realize higher revenues from fares and from the sale or rent of agency-owned properties. Bus
rapid transit (BRT) and streetcar systems can benefit cities that do not have the ridership demand to support higher capacity rail service.
Review the impacts of capital investment grants, many of which have supported the construction of rail lines, purchased transit vehicles and
Review the impacts of capital investment grants, many of which have supported the construction of rail lines, purchased transit vehicles and
fostered the creation of walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods around new transit stations with convenient access to goods and services.
Provide funding supporting transit systems with substantial public benefits including improving mobility and accessibility, particularly
Provide funding supporting transit systems with substantial public benefits including improving mobility and accessibility, particularly
for low-income, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Improve mobility and supporting transportation services planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities.
Provide funding for transit operators to improve
Improve mobility and supporting transportation services planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities.
Provide funding for transit operators to improve
the condition and performance of their systems and help bring our Nation's infrastructure into a state of good repair.
Per research done by the FTA, U.S. transit systems have a massive maintenance backlog, on top of the more recent effects of the Covid pandemic. The possibility
Per research done by the FTA, U.S. transit systems have a massive maintenance backlog, on top of the more recent effects of the Covid pandemic. The possibility
of eliminating the FTA has even been raised as an option to reduce the federal deficit, with supporters of cuts to the agency arguing public transit should be financed on a local level by the regions directly served, rather than through federal funding. Those opposed to
eliminating the FTA argue lack of federal funding and oversight would force vital regional transit services to cut back rather than expand, lead to greater infrastructure problems and worsen transportation inequality.
We know someone with the right mind for tackling these issues,
We know someone with the right mind for tackling these issues,
don’t we, Team Pete? There’s his oft-discussed commitment to infrastructure and sustainable development policy, and an understanding of how transportation and infrastructure, including public transit, can directly impact communities. He has experience initiating smart technology
for infrastructure. His proven ability to attract like-minded, innovative individuals with whom to partner on solutions will be assets for the DoT, and, through his authority, the FTA’s responsibilities. The Biden administration will not come into power for another month, but
the nomination of Pete Buttigieg as DoT Secretary is already bringing much needed visibility to a federal agency far too few of us have paid much attention to.
