PHOENIX, Ariz. -- An analysis of the nation's transportation infrastructure calls for policymakers to lay the groundwork now for a sustainable, efficient, modern, and inclusive mobility system.

The study released today calls for policymakers in Arizona and the nation to move toward transportation options that meet all consumers' needs and protect public health.

The report argued the current, fossil-fuel-based infrastructure pollutes the environment, causes unnecessary deaths, harms the public health and contributes to climate change.

Diane Brown, executive director for the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, which released the study, believes people are ready for change.

"If policymakers made a deliberate effort to provide us with viable transportation options, we are confident more Arizonans would choose those options," Brown asserted.

She added restructuring the transit system is an opportunity to bring new options to people of color and low-income communities.

Brown contended the pandemic showed, given a choice, people prefer to drive less and will choose walking, cycling and other modes of transportation.

She pointed out efficient, non-polluting and effective modes of transit are being developed and, if implemented, would give people in every part of the state the ability to choose the type of transit system that works best for them.

"When it comes to transportation in Arizona, one size does not fit all," Brown remarked. "Arizona policymakers need to look at what transportation options work best for which communities in the state."

Brown predicted President Joe Biden's infrastructure initiative, if approved, could drive the type of transportation changes needed, but urged state and local officials to find the political will to bring new mobility options to Arizonans and others.

"Arizona and federal policymakers have the ability to set our infrastructure on a course that works for residents in our state, whether they are in a small rural community or a large urban area," Brown concluded.

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MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa -- Iowa school districts are reporting bus driver shortages as the academic year gets underway. Transportation officials said more earning potential, and a broader appreciation of the job, could help address the lingering issue.

In a new national survey from a trio of industry groups, 51% of coordinators described the driver shortage as "severe" or "desperate."

Rex Kozak, transportation director for the Marshalltown Community School District, said he is short nine drivers to start the year, forcing route alterations. He noted while it is often viewed as a job for retirees, it is still hard to recruit most people given the limited hours.

"You know, somebody said, 'Well, we pay $21.25 an hour. Well, that's good money.' Well, yeah, but you've only got three hours of it," Kozak acknowledged.

Kozak pointed out the business community could help by giving more flexibility to people who want to work two jobs. Others argued school districts or private companies should guarantee more hours and benefits.

National associations contended the problem has persisted for years, but is worse now with some drivers quitting over COVID health concerns, or not coming back after furloughs.

Industry groups added the pandemic caused delays for people to obtain their commercial driver's license (CDL), and there is anecdotal evidence of some bus drivers not wanting to comply with mask requirements.

Woody Harden, transportation director for Washington Community Schools, feels it still mainly comes down to compensation.

"I think school districts need to start looking at ways to combine positions to give possible applicants more hours," Harden urged.

Meanwhile, roughly a quarter of respondents cited public perception as a recruitment barrier.

Kozak feels in a more mobile society, it's harder for local communities to establish trust with route drivers, to make them feel more appreciated on the job.

"Drivers really do care about these kids that they're taking to school," Kozak remarked.

Kozak stressed new entry-level federal training requirements for CDL drivers begin in February, which could complicate matters. He stated it is another reason better incentives could compel more people to apply.

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BOSTON -- Advocates for clean transportation are fighting a proposed ballot initiative, which would prevent Massachusetts from taxing gas and other fuels.

The ballot initiative is in response to the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) supported by Gov. Charlie Baker, a multistate commitment to a "cap and invest" policy in which fossil-fuel-emitting power plants, gas and diesel suppliers pay for the emissions they generate.

Josh Ostroff, interim director of Transportation for Massachusetts, said dropping the gas tax would do more than reject the TCI program, and contended it would put a huge portion of the Commonwealth's transportation funding at risk.

"If this ballot question takes away that revenue source, then we're going to have to find another way to repair our roads and bridges, to fund public transportation, and to make the kinds of repairs and upgrades in the face of climate change," Ostroff pointed out.

Environmental groups have also criticized TCI for not going far enough, and not focusing on communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.

But Ostroff argued there are other ways to bypass TCI, without wiping out a billion dollars in transportation funding. Backers of the initiative are now gathering signatures, after the Attorney General cleared it as technically constitutional.

Ostroff added powerful interests are supporting the ballot initiative, including the petroleum industry, but he asserted it is important to limit fossil-fuel emissions, especially on the heels of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recent report calling climate change a "Code Red for humanity."

"The 90-degree-plus days we've had across Massachusetts, or the amount of rainfall that we've had and the catastrophic storms that we've experienced, show that human-caused climate change is truly a crisis that threatens the well-being of every community and every person," Ostroff remarked.

He noted many areas have structurally deficient bridges, hundreds of miles of substandard roads and inadequate bus service, and warned losing the state's gas-tax revenue would only allow problems to worsen.

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Connecticut is expected to receive over 5 billion dollars. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the amount. (9:12 a.m. EST., Aug 12, 2021)

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Connecticut is expected to see over $500 billion in federal funds to modernize roads, bridges, transit, broadband and more, as part of the Senate-approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but groups watching the action say the new draft underfunds a vital pilot program that would benefit Connecticut.

The Reconnecting Communities program works to get rid of highways that separate communities and affect their air quality through higher carbon emissions.

Thomas Regan-Lefebvre, coordinator for the Transport Hartford Academy at the Center for Latino Progress, is among the climate-justice advocates calling for more support for the program.

"In Hartford, there are several plans to move the highways away from the city, or bury part of it, and it's not going to happen without federal funding," Regan-Lefebvre contended.

He acknowledged the program is slated to get $500 million, but argued it is only a fraction of what is needed. Reconnecting Communities makes grants for planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids and parks separated by transportation infrastructure.

There are $3.5 billion set aside for highway programs, which Regan-Lefebvre thinks should be invested elsewhere.

"We're not going to reduce pollution by investing in highways," Regan-Lefebvre argued. "We're going to reduce pollution by investing in alternative modes of transportation."

Overall, about $1.3 billion is expected from the feds to improve public-transit options in Connecticut.



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