Yesterday, the Senate finally passed its version of a six-year federal transportation bill. As you likely know by now, this bill will have a huge impact on how communities across America grow in the coming years.
We asked you to speak out about a number of issues related to this bill over the last few weeks. And right now, I want to say thank you for stepping up.
Many of the crucial provisions we championed—the Safe Streets Act, TIFIA financing for transit-oriented development, and protection of the TIGER grants program at the U.S. Department of Transportation—were included in the final version of the bill.
These victories would not have happened without your action. If you sent a letter to your Senators about the Safe Streets Act, or told followers on Twitter that #IWantMyTOD, thank you. Your voice helped shift the discussion in Washington.
The Senate’s bill is far from perfect, unfortunately. Cuts to local transportation programs will hamper communities’ abilities to invest in the projects they need most. And the bill could have done more to create new opportunities for development near rail stations. We will continue to advocate for these provisions as the House of Representatives works on their version of the bill in the coming weeks.
Our work is not done, but we have come a long way. Thank you for helping us get there.