What could be next in transportation
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The funding proposals in the big infrastructure legislation being hashed out in Congress have the potential to transform the way people and goods move about the country — while also reducing their carbon footprint and addressing inequities in transportation.
The big picture: More people would be driving electric cars, for example, and lower-income people would have better access to public transit to get to affordable housing, work and school.
- High-speed trains could well become the preferred way to travel between certain metro areas, rather than flying, which is harmful to the environment.
- Cleaner hydrogen trucks could also get a boost from more R&D funding.
Between the lines: People who’ve been on the fence about purchasing an electric vehicle could be persuaded to buy one for two reasons:
- Bigger tax credits — up to $12,500 per vehicle — would be more widely available, making EVs more affordable.
- Range anxiety — the fear of being stranded with a dead battery — would be less of a worry because $13.5 billion would be spent on EV infrastructure, including more public charging stations.
The intrigue: Not everyone can afford a car — or a home — so House Democrats are proposing an innovative program that would link public transit and affordable housing.
- A joint program between the Federal Transit Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development would provide $10 billion in grants to support struggling communities.
- If approved, lower-income people would have better access to jobs, health care and education.
- Their neighborhoods could be enhanced, with $4 billion proposed to remove highways that divided communities.
What we're watching: More people could be riding the train too, if Congress goes ahead with a big increase in government funding for rail, which is seen as a more efficient and sustainable mode of transportation.
- The bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $66 billion for Amtrak and other rail projects.
- Through budget reconciliation, House Democrats want to add $10 billion more for high-speed rail that would connect to local and regional transportation networks.
