Americans for Transportation Mobility

Americans for Transportation Mobility
Name	Americans for Transportation Mobility
Type	Nonprofit advocacy group
Founded	2017
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Area served	United States
Focus	Transportation policy, infrastructure investment, mobility innovation
Leader title	President
Leader name	(see Organization and Leadership)

Americans for Transportation Mobility is a United States-based advocacy organization focused on promoting investments and policies intended to modernize transportation infrastructure and expand mobility options. The group engages with lawmakers, industry stakeholders, and the public on issues related to highways, transit, aviation, freight, and emerging technologies. It conducts research, public outreach, and lobbying to influence legislation and regulatory outcomes at federal, state, and local levels.

Overview

Americans for Transportation Mobility operates at the intersection of infrastructure advocacy and policy strategy, positioning itself among other prominent AASHTO-adjacent groups, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Chamber of Commerce of the United States, National Governors Association, American Public Transportation Association, and Association of American Railroads stakeholders. The organization issues reports and participates in coalitions alongside entities such as U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Transportation Research Board, Federal Highway Administration, and think tanks like Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, Urban Institute, and RAND Corporation. Its public communications reference legislation and institutions including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, FAST Act, Federal Transit Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

History and Formation

The organization was formed in the late 2010s amid renewed congressional focus on national infrastructure and in the aftermath of debates around the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act and subsequent reauthorization bills. Founders included former staff from campaign teams, congressional offices, and trade associations who previously worked with figures tied to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and state departments of transportation in states such as California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Early activities paralleled public policy efforts by groups like American Road and Transportation Builders Association and Associated General Contractors of America, and engaged with corporate partners from General Motors, Tesla, Inc., Boeing, Union Pacific Railroad, and FedEx on freight and passenger mobility priorities.

Mission and Policy Positions

Americans for Transportation Mobility frames its mission around accelerating modernization of travel networks, supporting public-private partnerships, and fostering adoption of technologies promoted by companies and agencies such as Google (Waymo), Uber Technologies, Inc., Lyft, Inc., Siemens, and Alstom. It advocates for sustained federal funding mechanisms referenced in the Highway Trust Fund debates, incentivizes state-level infrastructure bank models reflected in proposals by the National Conference of State Legislatures, and endorses regulatory approaches championed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration for autonomous and electric mobility. Policy positions emphasize tax policy considerations discussed in the context of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and procurement reforms similar to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office.

Activities and Campaigns

Campaign activities have included advertising and digital outreach during major legislative moments such as the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and appropriations negotiations involving the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The group organizes conferences and roundtables with participants from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, and industry consortia like ITS America and America's Edge Project. It files lobbying disclosures before the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate and submits public comments to rulemakings by agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy when intersecting with transportation electrification and air quality regulations.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership has comprised former congressional staffers, policy directors from advocacy coalitions, and executives with experience at firms such as AECOM, Fluor Corporation, and Bechtel. Board members and advisers have included past officials from the Federal Transit Administration, former state transportation secretaries from Ohio and Pennsylvania, and lobbying executives with prior service in the Trump administration and the Obama administration. The organization's headquarters are in Washington, D.C., with regional directors engaging state capitals including Sacramento, Austin, Albany (New York), and Tallahassee.

Funding and Affiliations

Funding sources reported in public filings and industry reporting have included corporate sponsorships from major construction and technology firms such as Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., and Honeywell International Inc., contributions from trade associations like the National Association of Home Builders, and donations traced to political action committees and advocacy networks including American Crossroads-adjacent entities. The group is a member of coalitions with organizations like the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and private-sector alliances such as the Business Roundtable. It has received grants or in-kind support from foundations that partner with infrastructure initiatives, some of which overlap with philanthropy tied to Rockefeller Foundation transportation programs and urban mobility projects associated with the Knight Foundation.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have challenged the group's support for public-private partnership models and deregulatory approaches favored by corporate donors, drawing scrutiny from progressive organizations including Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and Common Cause. Environmental and labor groups such as Earthjustice, Service Employees International Union, and the AFL–CIO have contested the organization's positions on emissions standards and project labor agreements, often in the context of disputes over projects promoted by companies like Bechtel and Fluor. Transparency watchdogs and reporters from outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ProPublica have examined its lobbying disclosures and donor relationships during major legislative campaigns.

Category:Transportation advocacy organizations in the United States