Transportation is the single-largest carbon polluter in the United States and federal appropriations negotiations for fiscal year (FY) 2025 provide a ripe opportunity to set the stage for the creation of a low-carbon and equitable transportation system.
The federal transportation infrastructure law, and transportation spending more generally, has historically favored highway-centric investments, leaving little sustainable funding for more climate-friendly options like public transit, micromobility, or bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure. For many years, the federal surface transportation program has made just 20 percent of total funding available for public transit, largely as a matter of tradition rather than the result of any real attempt to achieve particular policy goals. Additionally, in the last 20 years, the single-biggest source of transportation funding, the Highway…