Wed 13 Jan, 2010
Breaking News - New Federal Transportation Rules Favor Streetcars
Filed under: Development, General, PlanningTags: City Living, Downtown, Federal Government, Smart Growth, Streetcars, Transportation Planning
BREAKING NEWS!
New US Rules To Favor Streetcars, Other ‘Livability’ Projects
By Josh Mitchell of Dow Jones Newswires (excerpted)
The Obama administration said Wednesday it would begin steering more funds toward…
…streetcars, local bus routes and other projects aimed at reducing sprawl….The change will affect how the agency distributes some $2 billion a year in transit funds, with administrators taking into account a project’s “carbon footprint” and other factors previously not given much consideration, officials said.
Rules imposed by the Bush administration restricted transit-construction funds largely to projects that met “very narrow cost and performance criteria,” LaHood said in a speech before a transportation conference in Washington.
“Going forward, we’ll consider all factors that help communities reduce their carbon footprint, spur economic activity and relieve congestion,” LaHood said.