Last night’s State of the Union address focused on rebuilding the American economy and getting people back to work. In order to spur job growth, President Obama requested that Congress pass a second stimulus package, which could potentially include transportation and infrastructure spending.
Let’s get people back to work on projects that are good for the environment and enhance our local communities for drivers, pedestrians, and bike riders. Author’s photo.
In early December, we championed the concept of Fix-it-First for the portion of the House's Jobs Bill (HR 2847) dedicated to highways, roads and bridges. Fix-it-First is the idea that rehabilitation and operation of existing transportation investments should be prioritized over building new roads and expanding highways. Be it the Senate's version of the jobs bill or a second stimulus, Fix-it-First provides immediate jobs and ensures that long-overdue repairs are made.
In addition to Fix-it-First, thanks to our friends at TransForm, a transportation advocacy group in the San Francisco Bay Area, we've learned a new term: "Fix-it-for-All." This principle goes beyond Fix-it-First, and includes cycling and pedestrian improvements. While we're spending public dollars to fix broken state highways and bridges, let's also improve local streets and roads so that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can all get around. Let's help people get around in a way that is safer and reduces environmental impact.
Local planning agencies that receive federal funding should follow a Fix-it-for-All approach when divvying funds. These projects, which simultaneously reduce environmental impacts and give improvements to everyone–including stroller pushers and bike riders–ought to get funded first.
These two "Fix-Its" are complementary, and Congress should embrace these principles as they tackle a potential second stimulus, a jobs bill, or future transportation legislation.
- Fix-it-First's distribution of the jobs money assigned to highways and roads will move us away from hasty investments in projects that were planned decades ago—before we understood the link between transportation and climate change.
- Fix-it-for-All will ensure that the jobs money will help local systems upgrade and improve their own road, bicycle, and pedestrian networks to meet new economic and environmental standards.
Applying the two "Fix-Its" to the jobs bill is a no-regrets approach. It will help stimulate jobs without stimulating pollution.