Sidewalks as Vital Step(s) in Public Transit

11/21/24 • 27 min

There are new questions about the future of U.S. transportation funding after the election. Experts are eyeing a shift in priorities, with local transit measures seeing success in unexpected places and tensions rising over partisan divides. While federal investments in infrastructure have sparked broad support, the future of transportation policy — at both the federal and local levels — remains uncertain, influenced by everything from climate goals to regional politics.

Senior Staff Writers Jared Brey (Governing*) and Skip Descant (Government Technology*) join the podcast for a special post-election episode of Your Mileage May Vary to discuss the prospects for transit during a time of political transition.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:

Partisan Dynamics in Transit Policy: Transportation infrastructure shows mixed partisanship: Transit funding often aligns with urban, Democrat-led areas, while Republicans favor car-oriented infrastructure in rural and suburban districts. Local-level ballot measures, such as Nashville’s recent success funding multimodal transit, illustrate this divide.
Shift Toward Basics and Multimodal Solutions: Cities like Nashville and Seattle are prioritizing foundational infrastructure — such as sidewalks, busways and safer intersections — over costly, flashy projects like light rail. This approach aims to create transit systems that meet immediate needs and build public trust.
Federal Investment and Uncertainty: The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spurred transportation investments popular across party lines. However, the incoming Trump administration raises questions about priorities, particularly in electric vehicle policies and emissions standards.
Challenges in Transit Expansion: Efforts to expand transit into suburbs face repeated setbacks, as seen in Atlanta’s MARTA system and San Francisco’s ride-share tax failure. These examples highlight public resistance to funding transit despite growing urban-suburban connectivity needs.
Future Issues to Watch: Key upcoming debates include reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund in 2026, the ongoing decline of public transit ridership and funding, and the widening policy gaps between states pursuing climate-focused transportation initiatives and those resisting federal influence.

Related Link to stories referenced in the episode:

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

*Governing and Government Technology are divisions of e.Republic LLC.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:

Partisan Dynamics in Transit Policy: Transportation infrastructure shows mixed partisanship: Transit funding often aligns with urban, Democrat-led areas, while Republicans favor car-oriented infrastructure in rural and suburban districts. Local-level ballot measures, such as Nashville’s recent success funding multimodal transit, illustrate this divide.
Shift Toward Basics and Multimodal Solutions: Cities like Nashville and Seattle are prioritizing foundational infrastructure — such as sidewalks, busways and safer intersections — over costly, flashy projects like light rail. This approach aims to create transit systems that meet immediate needs and build public trust.
Federal Investment and Uncertainty: The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spurred transportation investments popular across party lines. However, the incoming Trump administration raises questions about priorities, particularly in electric vehicle policies and emissions standards.
Challenges in Transit Expansion: Efforts to expand transit into suburbs face repeated setbacks, as seen in Atlanta’s MARTA system and San Francisco’s ride-share tax failure. These examples highlight public resistance to funding transit despite growing urban-suburban connectivity needs.
Future Issues to Watch: Key upcoming debates include reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund in 2026, the ongoing decline of public transit ridership and funding, and the widening policy gaps between states pursuing climate-focused transportation initiatives and those resisting federal influence.

Related Link to stories referenced in the episode:

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

*Governing and Government Technology are divisions of e.Republic LLC.

Previous Episode

Fern Tiger on Creative Instigation

Governments can drive economic growth and mutual progress by collaborating with communities to co-create innovative projects. But how can they effectively spark this collaboration?

In the latest episode of The Future in Context, host Ashley Silver interviews author Fern Tiger about her new book, Creative Instigation. The conversation highlights the importance of authentic community engagement before launching technology or economic development projects, the challenges governments and organizations face, and the innovative strategies that can lead to meaningful solutions. Drawing on her extensive community work experience, Tiger emphasizes the need to understand local contexts and histories to foster effective public-private partnerships.

Show Notes

Here are the five top takeaways from this week’s episode:

Challenges With Community Engagement: Tiger explains why traditional community engagement tools, like polls and surveys, often fall short. According to Tiger, these methods can fail to capture true community sentiments, as responses may vary based on factors as fleeting as a participant’s mood. Effective engagement should challenge communities to reflect on their feelings about issues, going beyond surface-level feedback.
Tailoring Engagement to Each Community’s Context: Governments can build trust and transparency by taking a hands-on approach, listening actively to residents and leaders, and staying responsive to evolving community dynamics. Genuine feedback can lead to policies and initiatives that more accurately address community needs.
Financial Constraints on Innovation: One major obstacle to government-community projects is budget limitations. Tiger discusses how funding challenges can stifle creativity and limit future initiatives, highlighting the need for innovative financing and partnerships that can unlock resources and drive change.
Case Study in Hawaii: Tiger shares a case study from Hawaii, where local officials, community advocates and residents collaborated to enhance innovation projects. This example illustrates the power of authentic dialog and the tangible benefits of understanding unique community needs.
Future Plans: The episode wraps up with a look at what’s next for Tiger following the release of Creative Instigation Oct. 22.

Related Link to the book referenced in the episode:

Fern Tiger, Creative Instigation: The Art & Strategy of Authentic Community Engagement, New York, NYU Press, October 2024.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

Next Episode

Practical Cyber Advice for 2025

In this episode of The Future in Context, host Ashley Silver speaks with Cody Tyler, managing director at EXOS CYBER, about the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state and local governments. The discussion explores why government agencies are frequent targets for cyber criminals, the dual role of artificial intelligence in security, and the importance of workforce training to combat these evolving threats.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the top five takeaways from this episode:

1. Government agencies are prime targets for cyber criminals.

Government agencies, Tyler explains, face increased cyber threats because of their critical role in maintaining essential services such as power and water, their access to sensitive data, and their reliance on outdated systems. These factors make them susceptible to ransomware, phishing and data theft, with artificial intelligence enabling more sophisticated attacks.

2. Multifactor authentication and user awareness training are essential.

The conversation emphasizes that multifactor authentication can prevent most phishing attacks when paired with regular employee awareness training, including simulated phishing exercises.

3. Collaboration with cybersecurity firms is vital.

Tyler reveals how partnerships between government agencies and cybersecurity firms strengthen defenses against evolving threats. These collaborations provide specialized expertise to assess vulnerabilities, implement safeguards such as multifactor authentication, and develop recovery plans to minimize damage.

4. Emerging technologies like AI offer opportunities and risks.

While advanced AI can enhance cybersecurity by analyzing data and detecting threats, it also introduces new challenges, such as fully automated attacks and sophisticated phishing schemes. Tyler stresss the need for proactive and adaptive strategies to address these vulnerabilities.

5. Workforce training is key to overcoming cybersecurity challenges.

Tyler underscores the importance of regular training and “defense in depth” strategies to address workforce gaps in cybersecurity. Initiatives such as workshops and phishing simulations, and layered security measures help employees adapt to emerging threats, particularly staff less familiar with modern technology.

Listen to this episode on the player below or subscribe for free on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy and Audible.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.