Obama Administration Proposes Major Public Transportation Policy Shift

[mvp]

FTA 01-10
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Contact:  Paul Griffo
Tel.:  (202) 366-4064

Obama Administration Proposes Major Public Transportation Policy Shift to Highlight Livability
Changes Include Economic Development and Environmental Benefits

In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria.

In remarks at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting, the Secretary announced the Obama Administration’s plans to change how projects are selected to receive federal financial assistance in the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts and Small Starts programs. As part of this initiative, the FTA will immediately rescind budget restrictions issued by the Bush Administration in March of 2005 that focused primarily on how much a project shortened commute times in comparison to its cost.

“Our new policy for selecting major transit projects will work to promote livability rather than hinder it,” said Secretary LaHood. “We want to base our decisions on how much transit helps the environment, how much it improves development opportunities and how it makes our communities better places to live.”

The change will apply to how the Federal Transit Administration evaluates major transit projects going forward. In making funding decisions, the FTA will now evaluate the environmental, community and economic development benefits provided by transit projects, as well as the congestion relief benefits from such projects.

“This new approach will help us do a much better job of aligning our priorities and values with our transit investments” said FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff. “No longer will we ignore the many benefits that accrue to our environment and our communities when we build or expand rail and bus rapid transit systems.”

FTA will soon initiate a separate rulemaking process, inviting public comment on ways to appropriately measure all the benefits that result from such investments.

[samiam]

We need to make sure Mayer Payton sees and understands this. and the inner core neighborhoods need to push the powers that be toward real rail base transit

[thelakelander]

nice!

[CS Foltz]

Well if Johnny could read it might help..............but neither can any of his boys and girls! Until this Administration leaves, I see nothing happening but it is nice to think about!

[stjr]

The change will apply to how the Federal Transit Administration evaluates major transit projects going forward. In making funding decisions, the FTA will now evaluate the environmental, community and economic development benefits provided by transit projects, as well as the congestion relief benefits from such projects.

FTA is one of 11 operating administrations within the U.S. Department of Transportation with over 500 employees located in Washington, DC and 10 regional offices across the nation. As authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU), the FTA provides stewardship of combined formula and discretionary programs totaling more than $10B to support a variety of locally planned, constructed, and operated public transportation systems throughout the United States. Transportation systems typically include buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, monorail, passenger ferry boats, inclined railways, or people movers.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/about_FTA.html

These same criteria should be applied to road building as well.  The other buzz term they should add is "community sustainability", i.e. maintaining, revitalizing, and/or upgrading existing communities versus diluting them by enabling new communities via urban sprawl.

[tufsu1]

Well if Johnny could read it might help..............but neither can any of his boys and girls! Until this Administration leaves, I see nothing happening but it is nice to think about!

that is completely unnecessary!

what is important to note is that the Bush Administration used cost as a majopr factor....this is partially why Jax. went the BRT route 8 years ago.

[samiam]

we now have a chance to do this the correct way, There are people on this board that have posted very viable plans that the city should consider instead of that BRT joke that they are trying to push on us. I have not heard a single positive comment about BRT but it seems most people get stoked about rail

[samiam]

I bet if the head honchos at JTA contacted U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and asked him exactly what the president wanted and said we would do it. we would get funding for it.

[Ocklawaha]

Y'all KNOW you can't change City Hall Right? Yeah, well stick this in your pipe and smoke it... About 6 months ago when MJ's own Stephendare and I attended the National High Speed Rail Conference in Orlando, we both had an opportunity at the microphone to unload on a who's who of national, state and local officials.

While I tackled rail details and pushed the FACT that without Jacksonville in the plan, High Speed or any other speed rail is going to fail in Florida. Stephendare, jumped on the big shots with "Why in the hell doesn't the government at all levels score these projects by livability, sustainability and development potential? We both got our share of oohs and ahh's.  Stephen ended up in a table where he could talk with several DOT secretary's and rail operators including an Amtrak VP. I got put in charge of a group-table that included DOCTOR DOC (FL HSR) DOCKERY, CSX, NS, and most of the West Florida delegation.

Suddenly there is an announcement from DOT that in the future we will score mass transit projects by "livability, sustainability, and development potential..."  Yeah, maybe that is just a coincidence, but if it is it's a REALLY strange one. I'd like to think after 30+ years of pushing Florida and Jacksonville, I just watched a friend win one for the team!

Stephendare will be available for autographs at stage door 15, 10 minutes after the show!

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

I bet if the head honchos at JTA contacted U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and asked him exactly what the president wanted and said we would do it. we would get funding for it.

I'll take that bet

[tufsu1]

Y'all KNOW you can't change City Hall Right? Yeah, well stick this in your pipe and Suddenly there is an announcement from DOT that in the future we will score mass transit projects by "livability, sustainability, and development potential..."  Yeah, maybe that is just a coincidence, but if it is it's a REALLY strange one. I'd like to think after 30+ years of pushing Florida and Jacksonville, I just watched a friend win one for the team!

while I'd love to give you guys the credit, the reality is there was a huge policy shift in Washington...which includes the hiring of lots of people with similar mindsets to yours.

[fsujax]

This shift in policy is certaintly a good thing.

[samiam]

Is the proposed BRT in Jacksonville in line with the new Public Transportation Policy Shift?   

[Ocklawaha]

Only if your the Grand Sultan of Texas...

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

Is the proposed BRT in Jacksonville in line with the new Public Transportation Policy Shift?   

actually yes....the new Federal policy is still ok with BRT...just wants to focus major projects (called New Starts) on things that enhance livability....our new BRT plan is much smaller in scope and cost than the previous plan.