Two recent reports released at the end of June have highlighted how investments in more sustainable transportation options can create good, domestic jobs that will help spur the economy while relieving American dependence on oil and providing more accessible mobility options for communities across the country.  First, a report by Duke University prepared for Surdna grantee the Apollo Alliance showed that the U.S. rail manufacturing industry--consisting of 249 manufacturing locations in 25 states--stands to undergo considerable growth in the coming years if lawmakers pass transportation bills currently being considered that call for significantly greater investments in public transit and rail.  The authors write that manufacture of passenger and transit railcars and locomotors already comprise an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 U.S. jobs, but that the job creation potential of the industry has been limited by lower investments in the industry than those of the nation's economic competitors.  With important policy changes and stronger investment policies, the industry stands poised for growth, especially in Midwest and Northeast industrial states, in which the current economic recession has created the severest job losses.

A second report released by the Economic Policy Institute and Surdna grantee Transportation for America (T4A) compared the job creation projects for two potential federal transportation bills: first, a continuation of the existing SAFETEA-LU legislation, and second, a proposal by Transportation for America focusing on maintenance and retrofits of existing infrastructure and completing the transportation network with adequate public transportation.  The study concluded that given an investment of $500 billion in both scenarios, the T4A proposal creates 400,000 more jobs over the life of the bill, for a total of 7.2 million.

“This study shows why America needs a new direction in our transportation policy,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “Cleaner and smarter transportation investments will create millions of good paying quality jobs and put our nation on a path to a lasting economic recovery."

• For more information about Duke University and Apollo Alliance report, please view the press release or the full report.
• For more information about the Economic Policy Institute and Transportation for America report, please view the press release or the full text.

On July 2, Surdna grantee the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication released a working paper with results from a study showing the impact of recent "Climategate" scandals on the public perception of  global warming climate scientists.  The study found that the scandals had a significant negative effect on public beliefs in global warming and trust in scientists, although this loss in trust appears to have been primarily among individuals with a strongly individualistic worldview or politically conservative ideology.  Interestingly, the study found that Americans overall continued to trust scientists more than any other source of information about global warming.

The authors of the paper note that these changes in opinion occurred during periods of a serious recession with high levels of unemployment, an intensely partisan political environment, and an unusually cold winter in many parts of the country.  Given this context, the paper asks questions about whether future events may reverse these opinion trends as outside influences change and as Americans begin to directly experience and are taught to observe the impacts of climate change occurring locally, regionally, and nationally.

• To read the paper, please click here.

On June 28, Surdna grantee the Blue Green Alliance, in close partnership with the American Wind Energy Association and the United Steelworkers, released a new report highlighting both past and potential growth in the domestic wind manufacturing industry.   The report, entitled Winds of Change:  A Manufcturing Blueprint for the Wind Industry, shows that despite the absence of a long-term and stable market for wind energy or policies to support wind's manufacturing sector, the growth in wind manufacturing has been steady -- growing from 2,500 workers in 2004 to 18,500 in 2009 -- and tens of thousands more jobs could be created with policies that create and sustain a clean energy economy and a long-term market for wind energy.

“This report represents a major alignment between our goals for energy independence and creating the clean energy jobs of the future,” said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). “This ‘manufacturing blueprint’ is a critical step toward ensuring that we don’t replace our dependence on foreign oil with a dependence on Chinese-made wind turbines. With the right policies, clean energy will help revitalize American manufacturing. We must ensure that American manufacturers have the resources they need to build clean wind energy components and by doing so, help establish America as a global leader of clean energy technologies.”

• To read the full report, please click here.
• To read the press release from the Blue Green Alliance, please click here.

On June 21, the United States Departments of Transportation and of Housing and Urban Development launched, for the first time ever, a joint grantmaking program aimed at fostering more sustainable and livable communities in the United States.  The $75 million in funding – $35 million in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning Grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants -- represents the latest collaboration between the two federal agencies to help integrate transportation, housing and economic development planning in communities around the country.  The new program builds on the existing Sustainable Communities Partnership between DOT, HUD, and EPA, which is working to break down traditional silos in the federal government by pooling both financial resources and expertise to help communities build livable communities, as definited in the Partnership's six joint livability principles.

The new joint program will fund planning activities, including supporting affordable housing near transportation, amending zoning codes to allow more inclusive and sustainable development, specific corridor planning that supports increased and equitable mobility for goods and people, and developing expanded transportation options that provide services to those with disabilities and help to connect people to oportunity. “This joint effort by DOT and HUD is a giant step toward improved coordination at the state, federal and local levels and reinforces the Obama Administration's commitment to finding better ways to make government work for people,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “Together, their investments will strengthen communities by connecting housing and transportation options, increasing economic opportunities, promoting environmental sustainability and improving their overall quality of life.”

• For more infomation from the press release, please click here.
• For more information on how to apply, please review the notice of funding availability (NOFA) by clicking here. Pre-applications are due 30 days from the publication of the Notice of Funding Availability in the Federal Register.  Full applications are due on August 23. State and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others, are eligible to apply for funding.