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Strategic Objective
ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE: EXPAND TRANSPORTATION CHOICE
Strategic Objective
Overview
U.S. transportation investments over the last 50 years have often been poorly coordinated with other investments such as housing and commercial development. These development patterns have provided many American families of all income levels with unprecedented choices in where they can live, and the ability to own a single-family home. However, the reliance on car-dependent, dispersed development is not without costs. For example, the average American adult between the ages of 25 and 54 drives over 12,700 miles per year and the average American household has to spend $7,658 annually to buy, maintain, and operate personal automobiles. Alternatives to auto travel are lacking in many communities. Fewer than one in 20 households are located within a half-mile of rail transit and only 53 percent of Americans have access to any form of public transportation service. We will enhance the economic and social well-being of all Americans by creating and maintaining a reliable, integrated, and accessible transportation network that enhances choices for transportation users, provides easy access to employment opportunities and other destinations, and promotes positive effects on the surrounding community.
Read Less...Progress Update
Bicycle and Pedestrian Access
FHWA led bicycling and pedestrian safety assessments in 36 States in support of the Department’s Safer People Safer Streets Initiative. The purpose of the Initiative is to improve the safety of the growing number of Americans who are using nonmotorized means of transportation to travel to and from work, to reach public transportation, and to reach other important destinations.
More than one-half of the States currently have policies and plans that support improved transportation choices. FHWA provides funding support for reports, technical assistance, and training related to walking, wheeling, and bicycling. During FY 2015, FHWA continued to share information about the importance of considering transportation choices and to monitor the States for the adoption of policies that encourage and support walking and bicycling. FHWA updated its Guidance: Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of Federal Transportation Legislation in September 2015. The purpose of this guidance is to describe Federal legislative and policy direction related to safety and accommodation for bicycling and walking.
FHWA also released updated guidance for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) in a Question & Answer format to address implementation issues identified as States and communities moved forward with eligible projects. In addition to providing accessible transportation choices, TAP projects are vital to improving the safety of all roadway users including bicyclists and pedestrians. Projects funded through the TAP enjoy broad popularity with communities across the country, because small projects at the community level that would not otherwise be funded are eligible. The FAST Act replaced the TAP with the STP set-aside, but the project eligibilities and program processes remain the same.
Rail Transportation
Americans are choosing rail in record numbers—demand for passenger rail has surged across the United States. Ridership levels set new records in 10 of the past 11 years. In FY 2014, Amtrak carried almost 31 million passengers, down slightly from 2013. Poor reliability—a result of increased freight traffic and construction—contributed to lower ridership in 2014 compared with previous years and projections. As recently funded service improvements take effect—new trains, faster trip times, reduced delays—Amtrak ridership will likely continue rising. FRA has several responsibilities with regard to Amtrak, including:
• Administering Federal operating subsidies and capital and debt grants and ensuring compliance with grant agreement provisions.
• Providing technical assistance and standards for such matters as Amtrak capital planning and equipment standardization.
• Overseeing and enforcing Amtrak compliance with Federal rail safety regulations and accessibility requirements.
