House Bill Advances Crucial Transportation Changes

WASHINGTON  – The House Transportation and Infrastructure committee introduced a landmark transportation reauthorization bill today that would help all communities benefit from just investments in many forms of transportation while helping to transition our country to a lower-carbon future.

The INVEST in America Act, as it’s called, also helps our nation become more resilient to hurricanes, floods and heat waves.

The following is a statement from Stephanie Gidigbi, director of policy and partnerships for NRDC’s Healthy People & Thriving Communities Program:

“For too many years, funding from Washington has built roads and highways that divided low-income communities and communities of color without offering the transportation alternatives all of us can use. The INVEST Act offers a different path, one that leads to a more just, equitable, and climate-resilient future.”

“Crucially, this bill ensures all communities have access to pedestrian, biking and transit options. It also will help us slash carbon pollution by investing in electric-vehicle charging stations, while ensuring that roads, bridges and transit lines are able to withstand the stronger storms and floods we must prepare for because of climate change.”

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​