Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program
On November 15th, 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was enacted, establishing long-term Federal investment in roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience, and broadband. The BIL includes up to $7.5 billion in funding for the creation of a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations located along Alternative Fuel Corridors, as designated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This initiative aims to provide a convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable charging experience for all users; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and put the U.S. on a path to net-zero emissions. Under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the BIL will dedicate $5 billion in funding to make EV chargers accessible to all Americans for local to long-distance trips. State Departments of Transportation will be required to submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan to unlock NEVI Formula Program funds.
To learn more about FHWA’s Alternative Fuel Corridors and the NEVI Formula Program click here. (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/alternative_fuel_corridors/)
Automated/Connected Vehicles (AV/CV)
The deployment of connected and automated vehicles will significantly transform the nation’s transportation system. They have the potential to offer safety benefits and uncertainties, and will present specific challenges to transportation agencies.
For more information and resources on Connected and Automated Vehicles, please visit: https://www.planning.dot.gov/planning/topic_cvav.aspx
Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has initiated a national conversation with partners and stakeholders, as well as the public-at-large, to receive broad input on key areas of interest and prepare FHWA programs and policies to incorporate automation considerations.
For more information on FHWA’s National Dialogue on Highway Automation, please visit: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/automationdialogue/
Every Day Counts (EDC)
EDC is designed to identify and deploy innovation aimed at shortening project delivery, enhancing the safety of our roadways, and protecting the environment. Federal Highway Administration has designed EDC to focus on a finite set of initiatives. Teams from the Federal Highway Administration will work with state, local, and industry partners to deploy the initiatives and will develop performance measures to gauge their success.
For more information, please visit: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/
Livability
Communities across the country are looking for ways to develop transportation networks that serve broader goals, such as increasing safety, supporting quality economic and community redevelopment, providing greater accessibility for people of varying income and ability, and helping reduce the cost of housing and transportation so people have more economic freedom.
The HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities established six livability principles as a foundation for interagency coordination:
- Provide more transportation choices
- Promote equitable, affordable housing
- Enhance economic competitiveness
- Support existing communities
- Coordinate policies and leverage investment
- Value communities and neighborhoods
For more information on the US DOT initiative on livability, please visit: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability/
The MPO's Role in Planning for Livability
Using principles developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Memphis MPO is incorporating livability into the planning process as proposed by the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
A key livability principle focuses on expanding transportation choices. This typically means making it convenient for people to meet some or all of their daily travel needs without having to drive. This goal requires the development and evaluation of different multimodal transportation improvement strategies at the regional or corridor level. As the regional transportation planning agency, the Memphis MPO supports livability in our communities through several strategies:
- Regional visioning
- Promoting economic development
- Complete Streets design & implementation
- Land use & transportation planning
- Planning for operations
- Project prioritization
