Transportation
Legislating Mobility Options: A Survey of State Laws Promoting Public Transit, Walking, and Bicyling
Research Report
Michelle Ernst, Surface Transportation Policy Project
Barbara McCann, Surface Transportation Policy Project
October 2005
This comprehensive assessment of state laws promoting mobility options reviews 525 relevant state laws and assigns them to eight broad categories representing different governmental approaches to mobility options: funding, enabling, system design, goal setting, safety enhancement, coordination, integrated planning, and (the negative case of) legislative barriers. Written for AARP Public Policy Institute by Michelle Ernst and Barbara McCann of the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STTP), this report
- summarizes state laws that promote three modes of transportation--public transit, walking, and bicycling
- develops criteria to assist policymakers in evaluating the likelihood of success of legislative proposals for enhancing and expanding mobility options
- provides four in-depth case studies of demonstrated success in furthering mobility options through legislation
Criteria for predicting success of proposed state-level mobility initiatives, the report observes, include
- adequate funding for improving mobility-option facilities or services
- strong local participation in planning projects and supporting legislation
- clear state-level goals and objectives
(28 pages)
Pub ID: 2005-12