Event Summary
Amidst a series of local infrastructure failures and shortcomings in federal transportation budgeting, policymakers are beginning to view the upcoming expiration of the federal transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) as an opportunity to consider significant national transportation reform. A vital element of such reform is to consider policy best practices, from the local to the international level, that will facilitate such future reform.
Event Information
Where
Falk Auditorium
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Map
One such success story is from the UK and its groundbreaking Eddington Transport Study. Eddington investigated the long-term links between transport and the UK’s economic productivity, growth, and stability in the context of sustainable development – and utilized its findings to made wholesale reform recommendations. A key member of the Eddington team, Oliver Jones, was on-hand to review Eddington’s findings and recommendations. Mr. Jones also participated in a panel that responded to Eddington’s findings and assessed the lessons applicable to America’s current policy environment.
Introductory remarks were provided by Sharon Alpert, Surdna Foundation’s Program Officer for the Environment. In addition to welcoming remarks, Metropolitan Policy Program Director Bruce Katz moderated the panel. One such success story is from the UK and its groundbreaking Eddington Transport Study. Eddington investigated the long-term links between transport and the UK’s economic productivity, growth, and stability in the context of sustainable development – and utilized its findings to made wholesale reform recommendations. A key member of the Eddington team, Oliver Jones, was on-hand to review Eddington’s findings and recommendations. Mr. Jones also participated in a panel that responded to Eddington’s findings and assessed the lessons applicable to America’s current policy environment. Introductory remarks were provided by Sharon Alpert, Surdna Foundation’s Program Officer for the Environment. In addition to welcoming remarks, Metropolitan Policy Program Director Baruce Katz moderated the panel.
Transcript
Bruce Katz: I think we’re at a very interesting inflection point on transportation and infrastructure. I mean, there really has been sort of this odd confluence of events, whether it’s the collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis or the uncertainty about the trust fund -- or more broadly, issues around climate change and the economic situation in the country.
But I think what underlies it is a conversation that I had with a CEO recently that probably many of you have had in similar terms, who asked me pointblank after returning to LaGuardia from Shanghai’s Pudong Airport, "Why does a first class economy have a third class infrastructure?"
View Full Transcript »
Participants
Introduction
Sharon Alpert
Program Officer for the Environment, Surdna Foundation
Presenter
Oliver Jones
Former Official, UK Department for Transport
Panel Discussion
Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Policy Program
Anne Camby
President, Surface Transportation Policy Partnership
Janet Kavinoky
Executive Director, Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition
Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program
Joshua Schank
Director of Transportation Research, Bi-Partisan Policy Center
Jack Schenendorf
Vice Chair, National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission