Transportation in America

A vision for the 21st century

Yesterday our colleagues at Transportation for America unveiled their three new principles and outcomes for federal transportation policy. That may sound pretty wonky, but taken together, they paint a vision for what the tens of billions we spend on transportation each year should actually accomplish for people. Instead of just talking about how much money to spend, these principles delve into how we can better spend the money we already have.

The principles are worth exploring in their entirety—which you can do here, with some great, shareable graphics—but here's why we're really excited about them: they will help create safer, more walkable communities.

• Principle #1: Prioritize maintenance
• Outcome #1: Cut the road, bridge, and transit maintenance backlog in half

• Principle #2: Design for safety over speed
• Outcome #2: Save lives with slower, safer road design

• Principle #3: Connect people to jobs and services
• Outcome #3: Determine how well the transportation system connects people to jobs and services, and prioritize projects that will improve those connections.

Why these principles matter to FBCI

Our work at the Form-Based Codes Institute is all about creating pedestrian-scaled, mixed-use, fine-grained urbanism. These new principles embody this mission by calling for infrastructure in existing neighborhoods to be maintained before new roads are built, streets designed as seams not barriers, slower vehicular traffic with ample space for people walking, biking, and taking transit, and optimum connectivity to jobs, housing, recreation, goods, and services. Interstates are built for speed, but streets, like our communities, should be built for people.

Connecting communities—i.e. people to jobs and services—can mean constructing a new foot bridge, completing a missing road link, or paving a bike trail; but it could also mean building communities where housing, jobs, and necessities like daycare, schools, and grocery stores are closer together. Form-based codes are designed to make that happen and a federal transportation system focused on people not cars can help us create safer, more dynamic, and more livable communities.

Delve deeper on tomorrow's webinar

Join Transportation for America for a webinar tomorrow, Wednesday, October 9 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Register now to get a closer look at what is (and is not) included in these principles and how they could reshape U.S. transportation for the better.