There are new questions about the future of U.S. transportation funding after the election. Experts are eyeing a shift in priorities, with local transit measures seeing success in unexpected places and tensions rising over partisan divides. While federal investments in infrastructure have sparked broad support, the future of transportation policy — at both the federal and local levels — remains uncertain, influenced by everything from climate goals to regional politics.

Senior Staff Writers Jared Brey (Governing*) and Skip Descant (Government Technology*) join the podcast for a special post-election episode of Your Mileage May Vary to discuss the prospects for transit during a time of political transition.

Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:

1. Partisan Dynamics in Transit Policy: Transportation infrastructure shows mixed partisanship: Transit funding often aligns with urban, Democrat-led areas, while Republicans favor car-oriented infrastructure in rural and suburban districts. Local-level ballot measures, such as Nashville’s recent success funding multimodal transit, illustrate this divide.

2. Shift Toward Basics and Multimodal Solutions: Cities like Nashville and Seattle are prioritizing foundational infrastructure — such as sidewalks, busways and safer intersections — over costly, flashy projects like light rail. This approach aims to create transit systems that meet immediate needs and build public trust.

3. Federal Investment and Uncertainty: The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spurred transportation investments popular across party lines. However, the incoming Trump administration raises questions about priorities, particularly in electric vehicle policies and emissions standards.

4. Challenges in Transit Expansion: Efforts to expand transit into suburbs face repeated setbacks, as seen in Atlanta’s MARTA system and San Francisco’s ride-share tax failure. These examples highlight public resistance to funding transit despite growing urban-suburban connectivity needs.

5. Future Issues to Watch: Key upcoming debates include reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund in 2026, the ongoing decline of public transit ridership and funding, and the widening policy gaps between states pursuing climate-focused transportation initiatives and those resisting federal influence.

Related Link to stories referenced in the episode:

• What the 2024 Election Could Mean for Transportation Policy

• Calif. Strengthens Emissions, Clean Transportation Standards

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

*Governing and Government Technology are divisions of e.Republic LLC.

Governments can drive economic growth and mutual progress by collaborating with communities to co-create innovative projects. But how can they effectively spark this collaboration?

In the latest episode of The Future in Context, host Ashley Silver interviews author Fern Tiger about her new book, Creative Instigation. The conversation highlights the importance of authentic community engagement before launching technology or economic development projects, the challenges governments and organizations face, and the innovative strategies that can lead to meaningful solutions. Drawing on her extensive community work experience, Tiger emphasizes the need to understand local contexts and histories to foster effective public-private partnerships.

Here are the five top takeaways from this week’s episode:

1. Challenges With Community Engagement: Tiger explains why traditional community engagement tools, like polls and surveys, often fall short. According to Tiger, these methods can fail to capture true community sentiments, as responses may vary based on factors as fleeting as a participant’s mood. Effective engagement should challenge communities to reflect on their feelings about issues, going beyond surface-level feedback.

2. Tailoring Engagement to Each Community’s Context: Governments can build trust and transparency by taking a hands-on approach, listening actively to residents and leaders, and staying responsive to evolving community dynamics. Genuine feedback can lead to policies and initiatives that more accurately address community needs.

3. Financial Constraints on Innovation: One major obstacle to government-community projects is budget limitations. Tiger discusses how funding challenges can stifle creativity and limit future initiatives, highlighting the need for innovative financing and partnerships that can unlock resources and drive change.

4. Case Study in Hawaii: Tiger shares a case study from Hawaii, where local officials, community advocates and residents collaborated to enhance innovation projects. This example illustrates the power of authentic dialog and the tangible benefits of understanding unique community needs.

5. Future Plans: The episode wraps up with a look at what’s next for Tiger following the release of Creative Instigation Oct. 22.

Related Link to the book referenced in the episode:

Fern Tiger, Creative Instigation: The Art & Strategy of Authentic Community Engagement, New York, NYU Press, October 2024.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

As Americans contemplate the implications of a consequential general election, this may be a good time to reflect on the state of the American dream. It is still a powerful idea. And it faces challenges — some are old and intractable, others are novel if not surprising.

Allan Golston, president of the U.S. Program for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, joined the podcast to explore the intersection of economic mobility and the American dream.

He emphasized the need for equitable access to education and jobs, streamlined government support systems, and the transformative potential of generative AI in addressing resource constraints across U.S. communities.

Here are the top five takeaways from this episode:

1. Influence of Personal History: Golston’s upbringing in a middle-class family, supported by education and hard work, deeply shaped his values. His mother’s resilience and dedication to his education influenced his career focus on supporting opportunities for others to achieve economic mobility.

2. Challenges to the American Dream: Golston highlighted declining economic mobility, citing a significant drop from 90 percent of 1940s-born children earning more than their parents to only 50 percent of 1980s-born children. This shift underscores the importance of equitable access to education and job opportunities to keep the American dream alive.

3. Education and Job Market Systems as Key to Mobility: At the Gates Foundation, Golston focuses on strengthening U.S. education and job markets. He advocates for streamlined public education systems, including high-quality early learning, literacy, and post-secondary opportunities. Additionally, simplifying access to safety net benefits is crucial for those encountering life’s unexpected setbacks.

4. Solutions-Based Innovations in Government Services: Golston shared examples, such as Michigan’s simplified benefits application, that reduce red tape, making essential support accessible. Similarly, initiatives like Results for America’s Economic Mobility Catalog promote evidence-based programs to help local governments implement proven solutions for issues like food insecurity and housing.

5. Generative AI’s Potential for Equitable Education: Golston sees generative AI as transformative for education, reducing teacher workload by automating grading and making timely feedback accessible. However, he emphasizes that AI resources must be equitable across communities, and biases must be addressed to maximize AI’s positive impact on economic mobility and educational equity.

Related Link to resources referenced in the episode:

• Results for America’s Economic Mobility Catalog, developed with the support of the Gates Foundation.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.