Resources for Public Transportation Advocates

1. Resources for Public Transportation Advocates Transit Initiatives and Communities: Lessons Learned Tempe, Arizona December 9, 2003 Michelle Ernst Senior Analyst Surface Transportation Policy Project

2. The STPP Coalition • Nearly 700 organizations in 48 states • Stakeholders representing diverse interests including: • transit advocacy • bicycle/pedestrian advocacy • environmental protection • public health • social equity • business • local government Surface Transportation Policy Project

3. What STPP Does • Federal transportation policy – TEA-21 reauthorization • Communications/ Media • Grassroots organizing and support • Advocacy research Surface Transportation Policy Project

4. How Can STPP Help You? • Facts and figures on transportation spending • Decoding transportation policy and practice • Updates on TEA-21 Reauthorization • Track the transportation reform movement – new ideas, best practices, success stories • Find local and national allies through the ANTC network Surface Transportation Policy Project

5. STPP’s Advocacy Research Surface Transportation Policy Project

6. Measuring Up: The Trend Toward Voter Approved Transportation Funding • If state gas taxes had kept pace with inflation, they would be 50% higher! • 30 states prohibit their gas tax from being used for public transit. • The result is a trend toward ballot box financing, with 41 initiatives in 2002. • Ballot initiatives are more successful when they: • Provide ample opportunity for stakeholder involvement in their development; • Specify exactly what funds will be spent on; and, • Provide for a balanced mix of transportation options. Surface Transportation Policy Project

7. Americans’ Attitudes Toward Walking & Creating Better Walking Communities • Nearly 50% of Americans report that being within walking distance to public transportation is very or somewhat important in deciding where to live. • 6 in 10 Americans support using more spending on public transportation, even if this means less money to build new highways . • More Americans (31%) say that improving public transportation is the best long-term solution to traffic congestion than any other option, including building new roads (25%). Surface Transportation Policy Project

8. Transportation Costs and the American Dream • Transportation, at 19.3% of expenditures, is the second highest spending category for the average family. • For the poorest families, transportation takes up 40% of take home pay. • Families living in compact metro areas with good transit service spend far less on transportation than those living in sprawling metro areas. Surface Transportation Policy Project

9. “Transit Growing Faster than Driving: A Historic Shift in Travel Trends” • The growth in transit ridership has exceeded the growth in driving for five years in a row. • In 2001, transit use grew at twice the rate as driving. • More than 9.5 billion trips were made by transit in 2001, the highest in more than 40 years. • Though in last year the growth in driving exceeded the growth in transit use, the overall trend still shows transit beating driving – 19% growth in ridership vs. 11.3% growth in driving. Surface Transportation Policy Project

10. STPP Response to TTI’s 2003 Annual Urban Mobility Report • Public transportation helps reduce congestion in every urban area where it exists. • Public transportation reduces delay from congestion by 1 billion hours annually. • Public transportation saves Americans $21 billion in congestion costs (about three times the annual federal investment in public transportation). Surface Transportation Policy Project

11. Join the STPP Grassroots Network • Help show Congress how diverse and widespread the transportation choice movement is. • Sign on to the Alliance for a New Transportation Charter. • It’s free – and we’ll put you on our email and newsletter mailing lists. • Use the online form at www.transact.org Surface Transportation Policy Project

12. For More Information • Michelle Ernst • mernst@transact.org • www.transact.org • www.tea3.org Surface Transportation Policy Project