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Climate Change
Congressman Waxman, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Senator Boxer, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, have announced their intention to move forward this year with legislation to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, most likely through a cap and trade system.
The transportation sector currently produces 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. One way to reduce greenhouse gases is to cut back on the number of miles people drive—which is one outcome of the cumulative efforts of Safe Routes to School programs. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership works with a coalition of environmental and smart growth groups to ensure that any climate bill is linked to increasing transportation choices so that more families can safely and easily walk, bicycle, and take public transit.
Latest News and Information:
Alternative climate legislation soon to be released
March 8, 2010
Senators Kerry (D-MA), Lieberman (I-CT), and Graham (R-SC) have been working behind the scenes to develop a bipartisan compromise on a climate and energy security bill. Majority Leader Reid has asked the Senators to release their compromise within the next few weeks in hopes that the Senate could consider climate legislation yet this year. It remains to be seen what will be included in the compromise bill specific to transportation, although it seems likely that there will be some kind of carbon tax on fuels that could be used for green transportation projects or supplementing the highway trust fund.
Climate bill pushed back to next year
December 2, 2009
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed its climate bill on November 5—with all Republicans boycotting the vote. Discussions are now taking place between Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Graham (R-SC) to identify a compromise climate bill. Further action by the Senate is not expected until next spring.
Climate Bill Update
November 3, 2009
Senators Boxer and Kerry have released the funding allocations and updated language for their Senate climate bill, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The bill language requiring large metropolitan areas to develop transportation plans reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains intact. In other positive news—funding for the transportation section has increased significantly over the House climate bill, which had provided only up to 1% of climate revenues for transportation. Over the forty-year life of the Senate bill, anywhere from 1.8% to 3.1% of climate revenues each year would go to transportation, averaging 2.4% per year. Half of this funding would go to transit agencies and the other half would be used for transportation planning and competitive grants for green transportation projects. While this falls short of the 10% for transportation that we were supporting through CLEAN-TEA, it’s a step in the right direction. Transportation emissions represent nearly 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a series of hearings on the legislation last week. This week, the Committee held a business meeting to consider the bill, but Republicans boycotted the session. Next steps are still under discussion.
Climate Bill on the Front Burner
October 13, 2009
On September 30, Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Boxer (D-CA) unveiled the Senate climate bill, called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The bill will include a substantial section on transportation planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a competitive grant program for green transportation projects—such as transit, bicycling and walking infrastructure. The draft also includes funding set-asides for state and local governments to do the planning and carry out the projects, but the dollar value of those set-asides are unclear until additional details are included until later in the Committee process.
We have endorsed S. 575, CLEAN-TEA, which would direct 10% of climate auction revenues to green transportation planning and infrastructure. We have also joined with a number of other organizations on a joint letter to Senators Boxer and Kerry to encourage them to include adequate funding for green transportation as the bill moves forward. We encourage Safe Routes to School supporters to contact their Senators to urge them to include adequate funding for transportation in the climate bill.
Climate Bill Update
August 11, 2009
In June, the House passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Since then, the Senate has held several hearings on the climate bill, including on the role transportation plays in greenhouse gas emissions. Several members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are publicly supportive of providing sufficient climate funding for green transportation alternatives like public transit and bicycle/pedestrian networks. The numerous Senate committees who have jurisdiction over the climate bill are expected to release draft climate legislation and proceed with consideration in September.
House Passes American Clean Energy and Security Act
June 28, 2009
The House passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), which is focused on addressing climate change. ACES includes provisions requiring large Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to address greenhouse gas reductions in their transportation planning. In addition, states will receive ten percent of auction revenues for renewable energy and energy efficiency. States can use up to ten percent of those funds to pay for the matching funds on federally-funded transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects. Action on the climate bill now moves to the Senate.
Climate Bill Has Many Steps Ahead
June 8, 2009
On May 20, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The bill would establish a system for capping greenhouse gas emissions and auctioning off emissions allowances, and includes a transportation planning section to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, the final bill included a potential funding source for the transportation planning, but not for implementing the plans. We are continuing to work with Transportation for American and the Smart Growth and Climate Change Coalition to strengthen the transportation provisions in H.R. 2454, and to ensure that the transportation bill works well with the climate bill. The bill still has several steps to go before it could become law, including consideration by other House Committees, the full House, and the Senate.
Draft Climate Bill Includes Transportation Title
May 12, 2009
Rep. Waxman, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released a draft climate bill in late March that would establish a system for capping greenhouse gas emissions and auctioning off emissions allowances. The draft includes a transportation section that would require states and large metropolitan areas to submit goals and plans to reduce their transportation greenhouse gas emissions—including through bike/ped infrastructure. Funding would be provided to implement the plans, although funding levels are not specified in the draft. We are working with Transportation for America and the Smart Growth and Climate Change coalitions to support adequate funding for the transportation section.
CLEAN-TEA Bill Introduced to Direct Climate Revenues to Transportation
March 24, 2009
Legislation to address climate change and greenhouse gases is likely this session of Congress. Senators Carper (D-DE) and Specter (R-PA) and Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR), Tauscher (D-CA), and LaTourette (R-OH) are the lead sponsors of new legislation called CLEAN-TEA (H.R. 1329 and S. 575). The Clean Low-Emissions Affordable New Transportation Equity Act would target ten percent of any revenues from future climate bill cap and trade revenues for lowering greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. States and local communities could tap into this funding to create safe, convenient, and environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives such as building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has submitted a letter of support for CLEAN-TEA.
Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future
December 2008
This report indicates how Safe Routes to School is reducing carbon emissions and air pollutants. The report profiles five communities that have made strides in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and harmful pollutants around schools through the implementation of Safe Routes to School programs. The five case studies documented in this report demonstrate initial promising successes, and show how one school’s effort often spreads to additional nearby schools, furthering the environmental impact. Columbia, MO; Las Cruces, NM; Longmont, CO; Marin County, CA; and Windsor, VT are featured.
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