The future of federal transportation and transit funding has many of us concerned as we hear how legislative priorities are taking shape in the Capitol. With this uncertainty, the need for landscape architects to advocate for less-costly, green infrastructure solutions and stable transportation funding that serves community needs is greater than ever before. In this post, and in tandem with Advocacy Day this week, we’re focusing on ASLA’s advocacy efforts and encouraging our members to bring their voices to the transportation priorities conversation.
ASLA’s 2017 Advocacy Agenda is taking shape. On March 9, ASLA released their top U.S. infrastructure recommendations: Landscape Architects Leading Community Infrastructure Design and Development. The report makes recommendations for supporting active transportation programs, expanding and increasing funding for the TIGER program, and investing in transit and transit-oriented development.
On March 17, ASLA released their statement on President Trump’s proposed budget and called out the dramatic cuts to many of the federal programs and resources that strengthen our nation’s infrastructure and economic development. ASLA will continue to work with legislators as the budget process unfolds and will carry forward a strong advocacy agenda.
How can you as a member advocate for transportation funding and sound infrastructure solutions? If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for the ASLA iAdvocate Network so that you can support the Society’s efforts to impact public policy at national, state and local levels. Once you sign up, email alerts are delivered to your inbox on issues important to landscape architecture that are being debated by lawmakers. With a few clicks, you can send a message to your Senators and Representative and make your voice a part of ASLA’s advocacy efforts.
April 27: ASLA Advocacy Day 2017
Now is the time for landscape architects to educate policy makers on how the profession is leading community infrastructure design and development in neighborhoods across the country. From upgrading to a multimodal transportation network, to fixing our nation’s water management systems, to recognizing public lands and parks as critical infrastructure—landscape architects are restoring today’s crumbling infrastructure and creating tomorrow’s resilient systems. See the ASLA Advocacy Day website for more information.
Take Action
Tell Congress to Support the TIGER Grant Program
Recently, the administration released a budget blueprint, which calls for cuts to many federal programs and resources for strengthening our nation’s infrastructure and economic development.
Now is the time to contact your congressional members to urge them to support funding for the highly successful Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants program. Landscape architects and other transportation planners access TIGER to help communities achieve their goals of creating transportation choices that families want. The TIGER program helps fund multimodal bicycle and pedestrian projects, transit centers and transit oriented development, and other active transportation projects that landscape architects plan and design.
More about ASLA Transportation Planning & Design Advocacy
Landscape architects help communities by designing multi-use transportation corridors that accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, people with disabilities, and people who use public transportation. These multi-use transportation systems reduce reliance on a single-use automotive transport, which in turn reduces traffic, improves air quality, and promotes a sustainable way of life. Join ASLA in urging our policymakers to support transportation for all.
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by Allysha Lorber, ASLA, and Lucy Joyce, ASLA, Transportation PPN Co-Chairs; Jean Senechal Biggs, PPN Officer & Communications Coordinator; and the ASLA Government Affairs team