Because transportation helps shape an area’s economic health and quality of life, an efficient transportation system must provide for the mobility of people and goods while it influences patterns of growth and economic activity by providing access to land. The performance of the system affects public policy concerns like air quality, environmental resource consumption, social equity, land use, urban growth, economic development, safety and security. Transportation planning recognizes the critical links between transportation and other societal goals. The planning process is more than merely listing highway and transit capital projects. It requires developing strategies for operating, managing, maintaining and financing a region’s transportation system in such a way as to advance the area’s long-term goals.
As cities look for ways to finance their transportation initiatives, transportation development must be coupled with employing innovative practices that don’t solely rely on investment. Linking land use changes to transportation is one option that has proven to increase economic development, improve livability, reduce congestion, and improve environmental sustainability.
Webinars
Tools for Transportation and Land Use - February 8, 2011
The National League of Cities partnered with the National Association of Regional Councils to present a webinar on best practice examples of how regions are linking transportation and land use and how local elected officials can play a role in developing the regions they represent.
Metropolitan Planning Organizations 101 - November 9, 2010
In November 2010, the National League of Cities partnered with the National Association of Regional Councils to present a webinar entitled "MPO 101". The webinar was geared to introduce participants to what metropolitan planning organizations are, their requirements currently under federal law, and how they differ from other regionally focused planning organizations. The webinar featured the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments which houses the transportation planning agency for the Washington, DC metropolitan region. If you are interested in hearing a recording of the webinar, please contact Julia Pulidindi at pulidindi@nlc.org.
Publications
Understanding Urban Transportation Systems: An Action Guide for City Leaders (2011)
A key piece of our nation’s infrastructure is the urban surface transportation system. As local elected officials face issues with funding it, they must also grabble with how to address congestion, air quality and other environmental concerns, and quality of life all while ensuring they are working with their regional partners. NLC has released a publication that discusses issues with the urban transportation system and provides a broad overview of the causes of urban transportation problems and of the implications for finding good solutions.
Local Roles in Integrating Transportation and Land Use (2008)
Transportation planning, which is directed largely by federally-mandated Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), tends to occur at a broader, regional scale, while land use authorities are vested primarily with local jurisdictions. Given the intrinsic connection between transportation and land use, the best to route to improving the quality of life in cities, towns, and regions is to ensure that regional and local perspectives, especially in the long-term, are mutually supportive. This Municipal Action Guide provides local officials with strategies and action steps to help foster transportation and land use integration that both articulates local interests and advances regional goals.
Presentations & Webcasts
Infrastructure Success for Prosperous Cities and Regions - Infrastructure Conference, 2011 Congress of Cities & Exposition
John O. Norquist, President and CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism, Chicago, Illinois presented on how local leaders can build unique and thriving communities successfully by connecting with regional peers and partners about land use, mobility, housing and economic growth decisions.
View the Full NLCTV Webcast
Innovative Transit Options - Infrastructure Conference, 2011 Congress of Cities & Exposition
Even with millions of cars on the roads, an increasing number of people are embracing some form of alternative transport to get from one place to another. Rapid express buses and limited route circulators are joining street cars as a bigger part of the mobility mix, which can both reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. This session highlighted existing mobility efforts and offered details about implementation strategies and the results achieved to date.
Leonard Roberts, Asst. Dir., Economic Sustainability, Coral Gables, Florida
Key Partnerships for Successful Infrastructure Development - Infrastructure Conference, 2011 Congress of Cities & Exposition
The need for an improved infrastructure system for this nation is great. Population growth and aging transportation and water infrastructure systems that are functioning beyond their capacity threaten local and regional economies, the environment and public health and safety. The most obvious fix to this solution is funding, but there is an even greater need to ensure that infrastructure development decisions are made collectively by all stakeholders. This session focused on who the stakeholders are and what their impact can be in making effective infrastructure development decisions.
View the Full NLCTV Webcast
Joshua Ellis, Project Manager, Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Illinois
Jeff Taebel, FAICP, Director, Community and Environmental Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston, Texas
Local Land Use Planning Solutions for Livability - Infrastructure Conference, 2011 Congress of Cities & Exposition
Cities, towns and suburbs can take action to promote livability by maintaining affordable housing, accommodating mixed-used development and providing sufficient density to support an equitable and efficient transportation network. By understanding the principles of livability, communities can realize the economic, environmental and quality of life benefits. This workshop focused on how local governments are using these land use planning principles to maximize the value of existing communities.
Scott Polikov, President, Gateway Planning Group, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas
Shannon Scutari, Scutari & Co., LLC, Scottsdale, Arizona
City Practices
Highway 10/Highway 25 Intersection Upgrade - Big Lake, Minnesota
The Highway 10/Highway 25 intersection improvement project has improved the mobility and aesthetics of the City of Big Lake’s downtown area. The city was able to make a dangerous intersection safer with dedicated turn lanes and wider lanes for truck traffic. The walkability of the downtown area was improved through streetscaping and upgraded crosswalks. Finally, the city improved the aesthetics with a new urban park, electronic reader board for community events and façade upgrade assistance for downtown businesses.
Northeast Central Durham Livability Initiative - Partnership for Sustainable Communities - Durham, North Carolina
The Northeast Central Durham (NECD) Livability Initiative – Partnership for Sustainable Communities is a community driven collaborative implemented in tandem with Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to coordinate housing, transportation and to protect the environment. The City of Durham Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services along with six other city departments support this community led initiative. The NECD Livability Initiative is composed of four resident-driven community schemes: (1) Coordinated Public Transportation; (2) Economic and Workforce Development; (3) Multi-functional Green Spaces; and (4) Safe and Healthy Environment.
The Federal Highway Trust Fund, which has been a primary source of transportation funding for local governments, is facing serious shortfalls. In addition, a transforming transportation network which relies more on hybrid vehicles and transit options is reducing the gas tax revenues, forcing local governments to look for alternative solutions to fund their transportation projects. There are a variety of innovative funding mechanisms that local governments can consider, but due to federal and state limitations, they aren’t able to always take advantage of these opportunities to the best of their abilities. Empowering local governments and decision-makers and bringing them into discussions that address financing problems would be the first step to fixing problem and allowing localities to find funding solutions that best meet there needs.
Public-Private Partnerships
According to the Federal Highway Administration, public-private partnerships (PPP) refer to contractual agreements formed between a public agency and private sector entity that allow for greater private sector participation in the delivery of transportation projects.
In the past, private sector participation was limited to separate planning, design or construction contracts on a fee for service basis – based on the public agency’s specifications. But now their role has been expanded to allow public agencies to tap private sector technical, management and financial resources in new ways. This allows public agencies to achieve objectives such as greater cost and schedule certainty, supplementing in-house staff, innovative technology applications, specialized expertise or access to private capital. The private partner can benefit too by expanding its business opportunities in return for assuming the new or expanded responsibilities and risks.
Local Taxing Mechanisms
Cities are looking at ways to modify their taxing structure to develop funding mechanisms for their infrastructure projects. However, state barriers could possibly prohibit local taxing authority, and this can have negative impacts on infrastructure development
Innovative Funding Mechanisms
State and local governments have been exploring ways to supplement the rising costs to construct, operate and maintain their transportation systems. Vehicle miles travelled, public private partnerships, congestion pricing and tolling are just a few of the mechanisms that are being employed to fund local transportation needs.
However, some state and local ordinances can prohibit these initiatives in some cities. This underscores the need for the federal government to provide local governments with more authority to explore a variety of funding mechanisms for various initiatives, particularly because there is a lack of solvency at the federal level.
Presentations & Webcasts
Creative Local Infrastructure Financing Mechanisms - Infrastructure Conference, 2011 Congress of Cities & Exposition
With such limited federal funding for infrastructure projects, local governments are looking to innovative financing solutions to fund their infrastructure needs. There is a wide variety of types of solutions out there, ranging from public private partnerships to a national infrastructure bank. This workshop explored some of these solutions and gave participants a chance to determine what would work best for their needs.
Eric Anderson, Transportation Director, Maricopa Association of Governments, Phoenix, Arizona Does it Pay to Charge? (May 9, 2012)
Charging for car travel – whether it is by tolling or congestion pricing – is fast becoming a way to manage traffic and generate revenues to operate and maintain transportation systems. Drivers who do not want to pay to use the more congested routes can choose other modes of travel, such as transit or other roads, as is being demonstrated in Maryland and Minnesota. But it doesn’t always work or have the desired implications.
Building Cities, Building Futures National Infrastructure Tour: Summary Report on the Houston and Los Angeles Meetings
Building Cities, Building Futures, is a national infrastructure tour hosted by the National League of Cities (NLC) and local partners and sponsored by the Siemens Corporation. In July 2011, the first two stops on the four-city tour took place in Houston and Los Angeles. The purpose of the meetings was to bring stakeholders at the local and regional levels together to discuss how sustainable infrastructure can be a catalyst for economic growth. Summarized here are the common themes and solutions discussed in Houston and Los Angeles. Learn more about Building Cities, Building Futures.
Presentations to the NLC Policy & Advocacy Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure & Services
Presentations, including those given by featured guests at Policy & Advocacy Committee meetings. Go to the Transportation, Infrastructure & Services Committee page for more information about this committee and related resources.
Gallery Night Trolley - Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is home to the region’s original Gallery Night, which was started more than 20 years ago and showcases various works from European and Latin American art masters to outstanding contemporary artists. The Gallery Night Trolley is free and allows visitors an easy way to discover what’s happening in the world of art in the city by taking them directly to the galleries’ front doors.
Local Roles in Traffic Safety (American Infrastructure, Spring 2011, p. 20)
According to the Federal Highway Administration, speeding contributes to almost one- third of all fatal crashes. AAA has similarly dismal statistics, reporting that economic costs of speeding contribute to a loss of $164.2 billion each year in medical care, emergency and police services, property damage and lost productivity. Since most accidents tend to occur on local roads, the onus to address safety falls on the shoulders of local government leaders.
Integrating Bike Share Programs Into a Sustainable Transportation System (2011)
As cities of all sizes face challenges in maintaining effective, agile transportation systems, bike share programs are emerging as a cost effective and sustainable way to expand the portfolio of transit options. By providing an automated, public, bicycle rental program with a pricing structure that incentives short trips, cities are realizing economic, environmental and public health benefits. Denver, CO, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, MN and Buffalo, NY are highlighted in this City Practice Brief.
High Speed Rail Presentations - Congressional City Conference, March 15, 2010
In March 2010, the NLC held a session on high-speed rail. Presenters from the American Public Transit Association, the Federal Railroad Administration discussed the work that is going on in California and Florida. Links to the presentations can be found below.
High Speed Rail in America: It's Time! (Arthur Guzzetti, American Public Transportation Association)
California High Speed Rail (Richard Alarcon, Los Angeles City Council)
National League of Cities High Speed Rail Focus Group (Ron Hynes, Federal Railroad Adminstration)
Vision for High Speed Rail in America (Florida High Speed Rail)