Ernst, Hatch introduce bipartisan bill to bolster Americans’ transportation access

U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are supporting bipartisan legislation that would inform investments in the nation’s transportation systems and improve access for Americans.

Toward that goal, the Connecting Opportunities through Mobility Metrics and Unlocking Transportation Efficiencies (COMMUTE) Act, S. 3491, introduced on Sept. 25 by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), would require the U.S. Transportation Secretary to conduct a pilot program that would provide data sets to states and transportation planning organizations to measure transportation accessibility, among other purposes, according to the text of the bill in the congressional record.

“Communities need information about how people commute, in order to plan transportation routes that connect people to jobs and other important locations – especially in rural areas,” Sen. Ernst said. “The COMMUTE Act will help communities receive accessibility data, for transportation planning efforts, so that communities can make smart investments, based on real data.”

If enacted, S. 3491 would authorize the pilot program to develop or make available an accessibility data set for each eligible entity selected to participate in it, according to the bill’s text. The goal of the pilot program would be to improve transportation planning for the eligible entities by measuring the level of access by multiple transportation modes to important destinations, such as jobs, health care facilities, child care services, educational and workforce training facilities, affordable housing and food sources.

An eligible entity chosen to participate in the pilot program would be a state, a metropolitan planning organization or a rural planning organization, according to the bill.

“This pilot program will explore a new method to assess the economic efficiency of transportation and land use, ultimately improving the day-to-day lives of the people of Utah and giving them better access to opportunities,” said Sen. Hatch. “We are fortunate to have such a forward-moving transportation sector in Utah and this legislation will support their innovative work.”

Sen. Baldwin noted that inadequate or unaffordable transportation options around the nation can significantly hamper Americans’ access to employment, as well as hurt economic growth in the United States.

“At the same time, employers, particularly those located just outside metro areas and in rural communities, may be missing out on potential workers,” she said, adding that S. 3491 “is about investing in better and more efficient transportation so workers and families can get to job hubs, health care services and other important destinations, and keep our Made in Wisconsin economy moving forward.”

S. 3491 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.