In a bid to ensure that environmental policy helps, and does not hinder, efforts to make our communities more livable, affordable and convenient, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has joined an unusual partnership with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Livable and Sustainable Communities” might not be at the top of the list of what one would expect to hear from the person in charge of how the Federal government spends our tax dollars on all forms of transportation — ports, railroads, highways, interstates, sidewalks, bike lanes and more — but that’s exactly what Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood named as a primary goal for DOT.

We noticed an encouraging announcement from Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on his blog this morning, following on the heels of yesterday’s post (highlighted on the Streetsblog Network). Yesterday, he said “we are absolutely committed to more livable, sustainable communities by reducing congestion, by building housing near transit, by supporting all modes of transportation.”

Release: President Obama’s choice of retiring Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL) for Secretary of Transportation shows his commitment to working across the aisle to make government work again. We agree with Secretary-designate LaHood that, “our transportation system and the development it enables must be sustainable” and welcome the opportunity to work with him during the important days ahead.

In the run up to the economic stimulus, we’ve been taking a hard look at some of the transportation project lists that states are putting together. While many of details of the federal stimulus are still being hashed out, our analysis of these state project lists has made one thing quite clear — if we [...]

As Congress crafts an economic stimulus that can help get our economy out of a rut, state departments of transportation are submitting lists of “ready-to-go” infrastructure projects. With commuters crowding into overburdened transit systems in record numbers and our elected leaders calling for green, 21st Century investments, it’s unfortunate that most are busily submitting wish lists that look to be mostly about digging a deeper ditch.