21st Century Transportation

It’s time we had 21st century transportation in America.

From high speed rail to mass transit, it’s time for us to get on the right track.  Americans all want a safe, clean transportation system that lets us all get where we need to go – but our current system just isn’t working.  Our reliance on cars and planes to get from point A to point B means our transportation system consumes more oil than the whole economy of every other country in the world except for China, and we import most of that from foreign countries.   Our tailpipe emissions account for a third of the nation’s global warming emissions, pollute the air we breathe and make people sick.

We’ll be working to raise the profile of high speed rail and public transportation by building grassroots support, garnering media attention, and getting community leaders like mayors and business owners to join the call for 21st century transportation. 

Issue updates

Blog Post | Transit

Why Young People Are Driving Less | Student PIRGs

 

Yesterday we released a new report, Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy, that shows that young people in particular are decreasing the amount they drive and increasing their use of transportation alternatives.

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Report | Transit

Transportation and the New Generation

From World War II until just a few years ago, the number of miles driven annually on America’s roads steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, something changed: Americans began driving less. By 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles per year than in 2004. The trend away from driving has been led by young people.

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Report | Transit

The Right Track

America’s highways and airports are increasingly congested. Our nation’s transportation system remains dependent on oil. And our existing transportation infrastructure is inadequate to the demands of the 21st century. The United States should build an efficient and fast passenger rail network, with high-speed rail as a central component, to help address the nation’s transportation challenges in the 21st century.

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Report | Transit

Road Work Ahead

To fix our roads and bridges, America first must fix our transportation policies. To counteract the tendencies to neglect repair and maintenance, we must adopt strong “fix-it first” rules that give priority to maintenance of our existing roads and bridges, set national goals for the condition of our transportation system, and hold state governments accountable for achieving results.

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Report | Transit

A Track Record of Success

As America moves toward construction of new high-speed rail networks in regions throughout the country, we have much to learn from experiences abroad. High-speed rail lines have operated for more than 45 years in Japan and for three decades in Europe, providing a wealth of information about what the United States can expect from high-speed rail and how we can receive the greatest possible benefits from our investment.

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