A group of 19 legislators last week launched a new issues and community-focused caucus, known as the Future of Transportation Caucus.
The new caucus concerns itself with creating a future transportation system focused on equity, access, and sustainability. Its members hope to refocus Congressional discussions of transportation issues beyond funding. Instead, they want to focus on transportation infrastructure and planning’s impact on communities, job access and services, as well as the environment.
“Neighborhoods and cities are rapidly evolving across our country, yet our approaches to the biggest challenges in transportation have failed to keep up with modern demands,” U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), a member of the new caucus, said. “I see this reality in my very own community. Inefficient public transit, broken roads, and congested freeways are symptoms of a model that doesn’t work for everyday Americans.”
Following its launch, the caucus hopes to hold a series of briefings and forums to raise public awareness and policy discussions of related issues.
“For years, transportation systems in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country have perpetuated disparities – forcing many of our low-income neighbors to pay more, endure long commutes, and lose pay and family time,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), another caucus member, said. “With our current transportation infrastructure entrenched as one of the largest sources of carbon emissions, it is critical that we support multi-modal transportation options like cycling, rapid speed transit, and walking. The Future of Transportation Caucus will bring together experts, activists, and policymakers to advance federal transportation and infrastructure policies that prioritize community connectivity so that every community has access to the critical housing, education, employment, and health services necessary to thrive.”
Beyond Pressley and Takano, members of the new caucus include Reps. Jesús García, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jim McGovern, Earl Blumenauer, Sharice Davids, Hank Johnson, Steve Cohen, Seth Moulton, Ann Kirkpatrick, Jared Huffman, Joe Morelle, Alan Lowenthal, André Carson, Donna Shalala, Rashida Tlaib, Lloyd Doggett and Raul Grijalva.