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Landscape architects are particularly successful at designing multimodal transportation corridors that ensure safe, convenient, healthy, and affordable transportation options for all users, regardless of age, ability, income, race, or ethnicity. From Recreational Trails, Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, transit-oriented development, bicycle and pedestrian, and other active transportation projects, landscape architects are creating cutting edge projects across the country. 

• The Safe Routes to School Expansion Act (H.R. 386), which would expand eligibility under the Highway Safety Improvement Program to include projects under the Safe Routes to School Program such as sidewalks, crosswalks, signage and bus stop shelters, and more. The measure would also allow projects to be completed entirely with federal funds, without requiring a local match.
• The Complete Streets Act of 2021 (H.R. 1289, S. 425), which would set aside five percent of federal highway funding for states to create a Complete Streets program and projects. To access funding, states would be required to establish a technical assistance program and award funding for communities to build Complete Streets projects. Under the measure, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation would be required to adopt design standards for the safe and accessible accommodation of all users.
• The Connecting America’s Active Transportation Systems Act (S. 6864), which would authorize funding to create seamless active transportation networks and spines within and between communities. This is a critical step to connect walking and biking infrastructure into active transportation networks that allow people to reach destinations within a community, as well as travel between communities, without needing a car.
• The Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act (H.R. 463, S. 614), which would increase funding for the Transportation Alternatives program to ten percent of the Surface Transportation Block Grant program. The measure would also allow states to sub-allocate funding to counties, local governments, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations and other regional transportation organizations to have local control over funding and projects.  

ASLA worked with the Mississippi Chapter, Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture, and other Mississippi active transportation groups to successfully convince Senator Roger Wicker (MS) to introduce the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act in the Senate. ASLA and its grassroots advocates will work to include these critical active transportation bills in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization measure.