via PA WalkWorks
Time to Elevate Transit Rider and Transit Worker Voices Across PA
As mentioned last month, Transit for All PA followed up on the Governor’s Budget Address with a statewide virtual All Call, bringing together transit riders, transit workers, and general transit advocates from all corners of the Commonwealth to discuss a vision for accessible, available, appealing public mobility options and review possible funding proposals. As a follow-up to the 2/27 meeting and in preparation for the 4/2 Platform Ratification, TFAP is hosting some smaller interim meetings. There is a technical committee, one on funding and one on rural communities’ needs and concerns.
During the rural breakout on the February zoom, the discussion was productive but there was a lot more yet to go over. So an additional Rural/Small Communities TFAP call has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 18, from 5:30 to 7pm. Anyone and everyone who is interested in seeing viable and vigorous transit service that truly meets the needs of residents and visitors is invited to connect with fellow riders, advocates, and operators from outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. We know all communities need reliable transit — let’s make that case to our elected officials and others who may not realize that the ~30% of Pennsylvanians who do not drive are not necessarily being well served by what currently passes for transit here (often just shared ride for seniors and those with disabilities or very limited service hours and headways). The goal of this current push is to ratify a Platform for Visionary Transit, and build a campaign to win funding by June 30 of this year. Here are the next opportunities to engage and make your voice heard:
Rural /Small Communities Tuesday, March 18, 5:30-7pm RSVP here
Statewide Call, Part 2 – Wednesday, April 2, 5:30-7pm RSVP here
Funding Spotlight: In Search of Non-Federal Funding
With the future of federal funding sources which have long been critical in the delivery of active transportation infrastructure being uncertain, whether that is longstanding programs like Transportation Alternatives and Safe Routes to School, programs that have gradually morphed over time like TIGER/BUILD/RAISE, or newer programs like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s myriad funding opportunities (upwards of 200), communities are realizing that pursuing diversified funding sources is a good idea. There have long been federal options in transportation, ever since the Good Roads movement successfully made the case to the Department of Agriculture to invest in road construction in order to ensure farmers would have access to markets. But you are probably aware that things are in a bit of disarray at the moment. Can we say what the upshot will be definitively yet? Certainly not, and that does make it hard to plan.
It may be time for municipalities to redouble their interest in private funding sources like the T-Mobile Hometown Grants. These have been available for several years (the commitment was for five — and it may be coming up to that horizon shortly). There is certainly need now! There are grant rounds quarterly and smaller communities (populations of under 50k) are invited to apply for up to $50k for shovel-ready projects that “foster local connections.” What that means can be literal, figurative, or digital. Trails and paths/routes can certainly figure in. Applications can come from the municipality or from non-profits. To get a better understanding of the state of federal transportation funding, Transportation for America’s webinar on the subject from late February is still super informative and insightful.
SDOH Spotlight: Health Stats Stand Out on New PA Dashboard
In addition to a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), Pennsylvania also has a State Health Assessment (SHA). The SHA was first developed in 2020 and has been updated annually. Per Secretary of Health, Dr. Deborah Bogen, “The SHA describes the health of the state’s population, identifies areas for improvement, factors that impact health outcomes, and assets and resources that can be mobilized to improve population health… The data in the SHA suggests both health-related successes and challenges in Pennsylvania, the latter of which are opportunities for impactful areas of improvement. Like previous SHAs, this one demonstrates ways that health is impacted by social factors such as income, education, and housing. There continue to be health disparities in chronic disease, infant and maternal mortality, substance use, violence, sexually transmitted infections, and many others. This SHA examines inequities by race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, age, education, sexual orientation, geography, and disability. We can use these data to identify people most in need of programs or support to work together to eliminate disparities and improve the health of all Pennsylvanians.” In order to facilitate awareness and understanding of these statistics, an interactive dashboard has been created, allowing for much more immediate and tailored depictions of health data trends both at the state and county levels. This can be queried to check the current statistics and trends for different demographic groups and also just examined to create greater familiarity with the topics.
National Bike Summits — DC This Week, Youth In Boston Later On
The National Bike Summit is taking place right now in Washington, D.C. Attendees include people from almost every state, including Alaska. (In fact there is some very innovative thinking in transportation project design and delivery happening there). But this is not the only national bike summit in the US this year. It’s time to get word out about the National Youth Bike Summit which will take place May 30-June 1 in Boston.
“The Youth Bike Summit (YBS) is an inspiring event dedicated to engaging young leaders in the future of transportation and cycling advocacy. It is hosted in a new location each year.” (Last year it was in Bethlehem.) Boston will be a worthy host city as it has become a very bicycle-friendly city with an active transportation-aware and supportive mayor. For the event’s purposes, youth are defined as being between 8 and 24 years old. The event will include workshops, bicycle rides, and a weekend of fun. Early bird registration is now open until April 7, 2025, starting at $75 for youth and $100 for adults. Consider helping to get word out to cycling-engaged youth you may know — and consider attending to show support. Events like these can help expand the pool of talent for future cycling advocates.
Complete Streets Policy Progress in Allegheny County
Current federal confusion and disruption really is hanging over everything — as evidenced in how frequently it has come up in this one newsletter. But in this larger chaotic context, this is a great time to look to take action more locally — and that is just what Allegheny County is in the process of doing. In February, the
Allegheny County Council passed a Complete Streets Ordinance. This is a step on the way to the creation of a formal policy. It is not itself a formal policy, but it directs the planning arm of the County to develop a Complete Streets policy aligned with the best practices outlined by the National Complete Streets Coalition in their Complete Streets Policy Framework, by the end of 2025. In contrast to the other law-making mentioned earlier, this is a great example of a thoughtful and values-driven government initiative to ensure the needs of all road users are considered in the design, construction, and maintenance of streets and roads. In addition to committing to create a Complete Streets Plan by the end of the calendar year, the ordinance also calls for providing support to additional municipalities looking to adopt their own and mandates an annual report be compiled and presented on progress, activities, and issues with the program each year. It is great to see this type of leadership and helpful to see it laid out as a concrete and time-limited effort that will push back against the incomplete streets we have gotten into the habit of building.
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