Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), today issued the following statement in response to the launch of the US Department of Transportation’s new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program.
The Biden Administration’s $2.5 billion commitment to fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country is a crucial step toward creating a transportation system that protects our planet and creates economic opportunity for communities that need it most.
NACTO is especially pleased that the federal government plans to distribute funding to a wide variety of urban and rural localities, and that USDOT will prioritize underserved and disadvantaged communities. To ensure the transition to electric vehicles is truly sustainable and equitable, it is essential that those most harmed by the impacts of climate change have access to the infrastructure designed to fight it.
On their own, electric vehicles can not solve the climate crisis, or fix the dire economic, social and racial inequities that plague our transportation system. We must still build cities that make it safe and easy to walk, bike or ride public transportation, and redesign streets to prioritize people over private cars. Nevertheless, the CFI program represents a bold vision and a significant milestone on the pathway toward a zero-emission transportation future.
###
About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO is an association of 96 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit NACTO.org or follow us on Twitter at @NACTO and Instagram at @NACTOcities.
Press Contact
Billy Richling | [email protected]
Alex Engel | [email protected]
For Immediate Release
March 14, 2023