Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
I M P L E M E N T A T I O N
The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), called a “once-in-a-generation” investment in America’s infrastructure, is an opportunity to transform how we move through our country while making our communities healthier, safer, more sustainable and equitable, but only if we do it right.
How we invest these funds will determine whether or not we make a difference for millions of Americans that suffer disproportionately due to the lack of clean, accessible and affordable mobility options, outsized exposure to air pollution and more susceptibility to extreme heat, drought, and other disasters caused by the climate crisis.
IIJA Appropriations Recommendations
Coalition Helping America Rebuild and Go Electric (CHARGE) is made up of transportation, industry, environmental, labor, health, equity, and civic organizations that support smart policy to electrify America’s transportation system. We wish to weigh in on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations process to ensure that Congress fully funds programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that are essential to reducing greenhouse gas and criteria emissions while improving our economy, advancing racial and economic equity, and protecting the environment.
Sector Recommendations
Public Transit
Support and strengthen transit throughout COVID-19 recovery and beyond by:
Requiring new transit capital projects, as a condition of federal grants, to address environmental justice and job creation within communities the project intends to serve. In general, USDOT should;
Prioritize projects that include robust community engagement processes and are inclusive of riders’, workers’, and community groups’ participation in implementing the IIJA;
Prioritize projects that have an MOU between the project sponsor and the local housing authority or planning agency to maintain or create affordable housing near the proposed transit line;
Prioritize project requests that advance the goals of the Justice40 initiative;
Hold applicants accountable for achieving the performance metrics they present as part of their original grant application;
Prioritize project applications that would expand access to high-quality transit service for historically underserved communities and geographies, using the responses to the FTA’s [title 6 RFI] as a roadmap.
Prioritizing grant applications and projects at FHWA and FTA which:
Provide multi-modal, bike/ped, and shared micromobility options that connect to existing public transportation systems, and;
Implement Complete Streets & Vision Zero policies and practices, which help grow transit ridership and improve safe access to transit;
Use DOT’s discretionary program authority to prioritize road projects that improve transit access and reliability, make the system more rider-friendly, and reduce car dependency.
Facilitate a transition to equitable deployment of zero-emission transit solutions.
Implementing immediate safety and assault prevention titles of the IIJA (section 30012) to ensure that transit workers and riders feel safe in our transit systems, retain more transit operators, and encourage a faster return to normal ridership levels on our transit systems.
Encouraging localities in states that may not increase transit spending to identify other sources of funds to increase transit budgets;
Lend/build capacity to localities so that they may successfully access and use discretionary funds;
Support efforts to raise transit spending in every state to match the increases in the IIJA;
Continue to educate and encourage states on flexing formula funds for transit and active transport projects, and to “fix-it-first” before adding new highway capacity. When USDOT is assessing grant applications, look at the overall state of good repair when scoring competitive grant applications.
Providing technical assistance and capacity building to states, MPOs, localities/municipalities, community based organizations and non-traditional applicants:
Encourage robust engagement so that community/municipal plans influence where the funds are spent.
Support rapid electrification of transit fleets by:
Providing transit agencies with technical assistance, developed with the input of transit agencies and labor unions, to:
Develop the workforce training plans required under section 30018;
Empowering the Transit Workforce Center to lead these efforts and facilitate national standards for training and workforce development related to zero emission transit fleets.
Encouraging transit agencies to utilize the International Transportation Learning Center-developed procurement language for workforce training that may be included in their ZEB Request for Proposals (RFPs) in their report, “Providing Training for Zero Emission Buses: Recommended Expanded RFP Language.”
Coordinating intra- and inter-agency electrification (FHWA, DOE, USPS, HUD, etc.) efforts to co-locate charging infrastructure and develop the grid to handle transit and federal fleet power needs.
Focusing on co-benefits of electrification, including air quality and health improvements for communities that have been overburdened by air pollution by:
Prioritizing bus depot/facility electrification in EJ communities first to turn air quality liabilities into community assets;
Encouraging community and economic development efforts at these facilities to integrate them into the communities, provide affordable housing co-development opportunities, etc. (example here).
Funding of ZEV buses and ferries, and supportive infrastructure to the full extent possible under the law.
Providing funding for third-party technical assistance to ensure transit agencies successfully select, procure, and deploy zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure technologies. This includes funding for technology-agnostic zero-emission fleet transition planning to determine the appropriate zero-emission technologies that will meet a transit agency’s service needs.
Prioritizing commuter rail projects that come to DOT with electrification plans.
Employing grant waivers or other means to extend the amount of time agencies have to access funds for electrification given the current limited manufacturing capacity of electric fleet vehicles and rolling stock.
Medium and Heavy-duty Vehicles
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including those operated at off-road facilities such as ports, railyards, and warehouses, represent a small fraction of vehicles in the US but significantly contribute to air pollution and global warming emissions. Funding from the IIJA should be used to accelerate the transition of these vehicles to zero-emissions technologies while developing a high-road domestic supply chain for ZEV technology. These technologies are well-suited for many applications across the commercial freight and transportation industry today. The following principles should guide DOT’s design of programs with funding available for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and supporting infrastructure:
Fund the purchase of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and off-road freight equipment, and the necessary charging and fueling infrastructure.
Limit investments in hydrogen infrastructure to green hydrogen where possible (i.e., hydrogen produced from 100% renewable electricity). Other investments should require a plan for how the investment will support an eventual transition to green hydrogen.
Do not invest in infrastructure or vehicles that perpetuate use of fossil fuels and other carbon-based fuels (e.g., biofuels).
Prioritize investments that benefit underserved communities and those disproportionately impacted by pollution first, e.g., communities adjacent to high polluting facilities such as ports, rail yards and major highway interchanges, and those lacking access to clean mobility options. Ensure benefits exceed Justice40 commitments so more than 40 percent of funding benefits these communities .
Ensure support for these programs through early, targeted, and frequent outreach to stakeholders, in addition to technical assistance, and fleet transition planning. Technical assistance should also be provided to agencies that manage public fleets (e.g. school districts, local governments).
Promote the creation of good, family-sustaining careers in the manufacture, installation, operation, and maintenance of fueling/charging infrastructure. Ensure that employees in impacted sectors receive the training they need to safely and properly install, repair, and maintain EVSE, including through training programs such as the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP). Workers from underrepresented communities, workers with barriers to employment, and displaced workers should receive top priority for opportunities for high-quality jobs and financial well-being, including through inclusive practices in hiring, training, retention, and advancement.
Coordinate federal agencies and regulatory authorities, state governments, and relevant in-state entities (like utilities) to ensure that medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging infrastructure is successfully integrated with the grid in ways that facilitate proportionately more renewable, rather than fossil fuel, electricity generation.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
EV charging infrastructure portions of the IIAJ should be implemented in manner that is:
Reliable: each state should clearly identify how the stations will be kept functional and operational and ensure a seamless and secure experience for all drivers.
Equitable: each state should ensure Justice40 goals are met with the deployment of the EVSE funds, and that representatives from underserved communities are integral to the stakeholder process in forming state plans.
High Quality: each state should apply labor and manufacturing standards to ensure high-quality jobs and a strong domestic supply chain.
Connected: each state has involved the state PUC/PSC/utility board in the state plan and the utilities are actively holding stakeholder workshops/proceedings on EV rates and rate design that should include managed charging programs or ways to minimize the impact on the electric grid.
Affordable: each state has identified a pathway for meeting the 20% cost-match and can exceed that cost-match longer term to continue the build-out of EVSE. States should seek to leverage public dollars to attract private investment.
100%: each state should take advantage of the federal funding available – including AK, territories, and more.
Micromobility
Investments in electrifying transportation must include micromobility and supportive infrastructure, prioritization of Justice40 communities and consideration for both rural and urban contexts. Federal policy should uplift building and expanding safe and connected places to ride, charging for micromobility, and integrating with multimodal networks. Supporting the adoption of electric bikes and scooters can deliver healthy, clean, affordable mobility options, improve access to jobs and opportunity, transform lives and communities, and create green jobs in the process. CHARGE proposals:
Rapidly build and expand protected, connected and equitable micromobility infrastructure networks by:
Significantly increasing investments in programs that support active transportation and micromobility infrastructure, including:
Fully funding the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program.
Requiring projects to incorporate Complete Streets and prioritizing funding Complete Streets projects.
Streamlining and simplifying access to federal funding, including waiving minimum project costs, supporting small project applicants with technical assistance, and providing flexibility and lenience on federal compliance for small projects.
Developing policy and incentives for safe storage and parking of micromobility devices, including:
Investing in secure public storage facilities in residential and commercial areas.
Requiring new residential and commercial buildings to provide secure storage.
Invest in micromobility electrification in tandem with the development of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by:
Providing direct funding for the installation of charging stations for shared and personally-owned electric micromobility devices.
Incentivizing the electrification of the curb for use by micromobility charging by:
Requiring that projects electrifying the curb for EV charging also lay the groundwork for micromobility charging stations in that area as a norm.
Encouraging the installation and co-location of micromobility charging by:
Offering tax incentives such as the inclusion of micromobility charging stations in the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit program.
Offering additional rebates for the purchase and installation of micromobilty charging infrastructure for developments and businesses.
Adding micromobility infrastructure in project proposal evaluation by:
Developing NOFO criteria that prioritize installing micromobility charging and co-location in project applications.
Incentivizing states to include micromobility in their EV charging plans.
Leverage micromobility in creating a sustainable and equitable multimodal transportation system in the US with a focus on reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips by:
Co-locating electric infrastructure investments to create multimodal mobility hubs that connect micromobility, last-mile services, charging stations, and public transportation.
Promoting a seamless user experience for trips that combine micromobility and public transportation, i.e.:
Ensuring the ability to move micromobility on transit, such as including storage options on public transit vehicles
Secure micromobility parking and charging at public transportation sites
Ensuring parity for income caps for EVs and electric micromobility and prioritizing incentives by lowest carbon abatement cost, i.e.:
Establishing a consumer-focused electric bicycle tax credit.
Establishing an employee-focused micromobility commuter benefit.
Incentivizing states to leverage micromobility to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips as part of carbon reduction plans.
Want to know more?
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