by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

How do you . . . participate in a coalition designed to support transportation infrastructure?

Summary: The AIA announced its support for the Transportation for America’s blueprint on the National Transportation Program Authorization. Transportation for America is a coalition of more than 225 organizations and 17,000 individual members with the goal of modernizing the nation’s transportation infrastructure. The coalition seeks to align national, state, and local transportation policies with numerous national priorities, including community development and economic recovery.

Transportation for America’s Blueprint includes several provisions advocated by the AIA, including:

• Using public design charrettes and including the general public along with planning and design professionals to help state and local officials plan transportation systems
• Prioritizing funding for the design, construction, or major renovation of new transit facilities that meet energy efficiency standards, utilize sustainable construction practices and materials, or include nationally recognized green ratings systems
• Renovating and preserving older and historic transit and intermodal facilities
• Providing federal incentives for the development of energy-efficient transit-oriented development in exchange for guarantees of affordable housing.

“The Transportation for America platform echoes the findings from a recent study the AIA conducted and presented to Congress last year,” said Paul Mendelsohn, AIA vice president of Government and Community Relations. “With the upcoming debate over federal transportation policy, we have a rare window of opportunity to make necessary improvements and ensure that when we build, we build better: more transportation choices, livable communities, and sustainable public planning.”

Transportation for America held an event on Capitol Hill last February to release its platform and announce the coalition.Transportation for America’s goals include establishing accountability for transportation agencies; making sound infrastructure investments; addressing investments to solve energy, air quality, and climate challenges; supporting smart local land use planning; and developing funding strategies for transportation and infrastructure projects.