The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and Dave Grossman, principal at Green Light Consulting and senior consultant at David Gardiner and Associates, have evaluated all 50 states to gauge the general policy and spending context that will influence and direct federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, with the aim of identifying the degree to which states have adopted policies and directed dollars toward improving equity, public health and climate outcomes.
The report, “Getting Transportation Right: Ranking the States in Light of New Federal Funding,” shows that while some states have already adopted policies and programs conducive to meeting equity and climate goals, other states must rapidly realign their priorities in order to achieve these outcomes.
According to the NRDC, funding could significantly help—or hinder—the shift to a climate-friendly and equitable transportation system, depending on how the funding is spent.
The 10 states currently doing the most to improve equity and climate outcomes from the transportation sector are:
1. California
2. Massachusetts
3. Vermont
4. Oregon
5. Washington
6. New York
7. Colorado
8. New Jersey
9. Connecticut
10. Minnesota
The 10 states currently doing the least to improve equity and climate outcomes from the transportation sector are:
50. Kentucky
48. Louisiana
48. Nebraska
47. Alabama
46. South Carolina
45. Arizona
44. Idaho
43. Alaska
42. Montana
41. Mississippi
The full report can be viewed on NRDC’s website.
