By Dan Zukowski
Published Nov. 11, 2026

A newly established national initiative is stepping onto the American transportation landscape with a clear mission: to reshape how communities move, lower the cost of living, and give everyday citizens a louder voice in infrastructure decisions. The Center for American Mobility (CAM) and its accompanying research and education fund launched officially to support local transportation initiatives, empower grassroots advocates, and champion transit-friendly policies across the United States.

According to leadership, the organization aims to build a broad coalition that bridges the gaps between urban centers, suburbs, and rural towns. By focusing on modern mobility solutions, the twin nonprofits intend to provide strategic backing to transit ballot measures, legislative campaigns, and political candidates who prioritize safe streets and accessible public transportation networks.

Shelley Brindle, chief executive officer of the Center for American Mobility, emphasizes that the organization’s vision transcends traditional geographical divides. The goal, she notes, is to support public transportation and safe infrastructure regardless of whether a community sits in the heart of a major metropolitan area, a sprawling suburb, or a quiet rural county.

Even before the formal public rollout of the organizations, the teams behind them were already active on the ground. Organizers lent support to crucial transportation sales tax measures that successfully generated millions of dollars for public transit infrastructure in Pierce County, Washington, and Yampa Valley, Colorado. Both regional measures ultimately won approval from voters, signaling that local communities remain willing to invest in their transit futures when presented with clear, actionable plans.

Empowering Local Advocates and Building Broad Coalitions

A core pillar of CAM’s strategy involves shifting the narrative around public transportation. For decades, transit advocacy has frequently been framed as an urban-centric issue or a niche concern. Brindle and her team want to change that perception entirely.

“If we can really help empower a lot of these local advocates, whether it’s through ballot measures or whether it’s through transit-friendly, street-smart-friendly candidates, we’d like to support them,” Brindle said. “We want to make supporting public transportation and safe streets not a niche issue, but really an issue that everybody cares about and touches everybody, regardless if you’re in a metro, suburban or rural area.”

This grassroots empowerment relies heavily on local trust. Brindle points out that citizens in many parts of the country harbor a deeper trust in their local municipal and county governments than they do in federal institutions. In smaller communities particularly, residents often maintain a much clearer, more tangible sense of where their tax dollars are going and how those funds directly impact their daily lives. By leaning into this localized trust, CAM hopes to foster infrastructure development that feels responsive and accountable to the people who use it every day.

Connecting Modern Mobility to Household Affordability

Beyond reducing traffic congestion and improving road safety, the Center for American Mobility intends to anchor its messaging firmly in economic reality. For millions of households across the country, transportation represents one of the largest monthly expenses outside of housing.

“It’s also about making living more affordable for every American, regardless of where they live,” Brindle said, highlighting how deeply intertwined mobility is with personal finance.

Recent federal data underscores the urgency of this economic connection. According to figures from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, transportation costs accounted for more than 35% of overall inflation in the United States as of September 2026. Furthermore, the consumer price index for transportation—which tracks the average cost of getting around across all U.S. cities—jumped 7.9% in September compared to the same month in the previous year on an unadjusted basis. These rising expenses have placed a heavy financial burden on families already grappling with broader economic pressures.

“Transportation is 100% tied into affordability, and I think that’s the message that we need to be talking about,” Brindle said. By framing transit investments and safe streets as direct solutions to high household costs, CAM hopes to build broader appeal for initiatives that might otherwise face skepticism from cost-conscious voters.

Looking Ahead and Establishing Leadership

As the newly formed nonprofits take their first steps, Brindle notes that the immediate priorities involve establishing key partnerships, building collaborative networks across the sector, and securing the necessary funding to sustain long-term campaigns. While the road ahead involves complex political and logistical challenges, the organization is backed by seasoned veterans of transportation policy and public advocacy.

The leadership structure reflects a deep bench of expertise drawn from both government and non-profit sectors. Dani Simons, who previously served as the director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, has joined the board of the Center for American Mobility, bringing extensive federal communication and policy experience to the organization. Meanwhile, Beth Osborne, president and CEO of the national advocacy group Smart Growth America, has taken a seat on the board of the CAM Research and Education Fund, ensuring that the organization’s policy positions will be supported by rigorous research and data-driven analysis.

Through a combination of localized ballot advocacy, strategic political engagement, and public education campaigns centered on affordability and safety, CAM and its education fund enter the national stage poised to shape the future of American transit policy for years to come.