Ginny Roscamp, Senior Press Secretary, Federal Communications, Sierra Club, ginny.roscamp@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC — The Sierra Club and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) are calling for growing federal investments in public transit, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and low-carbon building materials like cement and steel in federal funding for transportation and highways, detailing their recommendations in a letter submitted to the Department of Transportation during a request for information comment period on the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. The original comment period ended August 20, but was extended to September 8.
- Read the letter: https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/default/files/2025-08/nrdc_sierra-club_dot-ost-2025-0468-1.pdf
The current authorization for federal surface transportation programs — including funding for Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration — expires in September 2026.
“This bill must ensure that every level of government prioritizes equitable and clean transportation, and that funding boosts investments in advanced U.S. industry. The upcoming funding process is a critical opportunity to ensure our transportation infrastructure is made with American materials produced in zero-pollution, world-class facilities," said Harry Manin, Deputy Legislative Director of Industrial Policy and Trade at the Sierra Club. “Instead of harming American business, the Trump Administration should help create jobs and drive private investment in the companies manufacturing the clean steel, cement, and aluminum needed to build and repair our roads, bridges, and EV infrastructure."
"The upcoming surface transportation bill provides a key opportunity to invest in lower cost transportation options like transit, walking and biking, while also helping to drive the shift to electric vehicles. In addition, it can spur the use of innovative construction materials for our roads and bridges," said Jaden Kielty, an advocate in the climate and energy program at NRDC. "The opportunity to build an affordable and sustainable transportation system is huge. Congress cannot miss this opportunity."
The Sierra Club and NRDC’s comment letter outlines the following recommendations for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill:
- Prioritize lowering transportation costs for households
- Invest in electrification as an economic tool development tool
- Drive economic growth by investing in public transit
- Strengthen the Carbon Reduction Program
- Increase transparency and data accessibility on transportation spending
- Targeted equitable transportation investments in economically distressed communities
- Expand technical assistance to communities
- Unlock community knowledge for better project outcomes
- Fund research and development programs for innovative transportation materials
- Fund a low-carbon materials procurement program
- Authorize states to engage in advance purchase commitments for innovative low-emissions, high-performance materials
- Continue to fund American industrial demonstrations
- Preference low-carbon, high-performance materials in non-highway infrastructure
BACKGROUND
DOT’s surface transportation bill expires every five years, and historically, its reauthorization has been a bipartisan process. Congressional committees began hearings on the latest bill earlier this year.
The last bill — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — passed in 2021 with bipartisan support. That bill included important programs supporting American industrial innovation and competitiveness, including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program and funding for the Industrial Demonstrations Program.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.