Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010By Sean Barry
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President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget is a step forward for transportation options and livable communities and contains $1 billion in programs and grants to help turn this positive vision into reality.
In this budget, the President and his advisers attempt to thread a needle between the urgency of unemployment and the longer-term implications of debt. Given these realities, it is gratifying that Obama chose to boost funding on transportation and livability as other programs face cuts. It shows that his team gets it. They understand that investing in the neighborhoods and communities of tomorrow can both create jobs and lay the foundation for future prosperity. Indeed, that dual purpose has been a theme of Obama’s domestic agenda throughout 2009.
The administration had signaled a new path last year with its creation of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort among the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. The administration recognized that making transportation choices, affordable housing and economic opportunity available to more Americans requires real collaboration among these key agencies. The partnership is on track to receive $830 million in the FY 2011 budget.
The budget also allocates $1 billion for high-speed rail, on top of the $2.5 billion in the current year’s budget and $8 million in grants from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Here are few other programs and pilots worth mentioning:
- $4 billion for the National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund
- $150 for the Sustainable Communities Initiative, including an inter-agency research effort on the transportation and housing linkage
- $150 million for Catalytic Investment Competition Grants, a competitive program to support job-creation and large scale projects in disadvantaged areas
- $527 million for the Livable Communities Program
- $32 million for the Healthy Communities Initiative
This is a budget praise-worthy for both the help it delivers today and the investment ushered in for tomorrow. It deserves our support.
Transportation for America Voices Support for Senator Dodd’s Livable Communities Act
August 12, 2009By Transportation for America
Bill helps cut traffic congestion, reduce emissions and oil consumption, protect green spaces, revive urban centers and create more affordable housing
| CONTACT: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128, 202-904-7466 cbullock@mrss.com |
Washington, D.C. — James Corless, director of Transportation for America, released the following statement in response to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Dodd’s (D-CT) introduction of the Livable Communities Act:
“Last week’s introduction of the Livable Communities Act emphasizes a growing demand from the American people to reshape our communities and transportation options to meet our evolving needs. Americans spend nearly two-thirds of their income on the combined costs of housing and transportation, and are looking for affordable options to live closer to their jobs, schools, and amenities. Senator Dodd’s measure would help Americans find a way out of traffic congestion, reduce emissions and gasoline consumption, protect green spaces, revive urban centers and create more affordable places to live.
“The act aligns with an overarching goal of the Transportation for America campaign — to integrate housing and commerce with a safe, clean and smart transportation system that provides real, affordable options for all Americans. In order for the upcoming transportation bill to be truly effective, Congress must evaluate the current system with an eye towards creating a system that will work for everyone.”
The Act authorizes $400 million in competitive grants to plan for livable communities, integrating transportation, housing, economic development and environmental needs. It authorizes $3.75 billion over three years for implementation of projects promoting sustainable development by creating and preserving affordable housing in neighborhoods with access to jobs and served by transit; improving public transportation; creating safe places for walking and biking; redeveloping brownfields; and fostering revitalization. It also creates an inter-departmental council to coordinate among transportation, housing and urban development and environmental agencies, and creates an office of sustainability at HUD.
Transportation Secretary affirms smart principles for US transportation system
April 29, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
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| National Bike Summit – Day two-8 Originally uploaded by BikePortland.org |
| DOT Secretary Ray LaHood speaks at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC |
“Livable and Sustainable Communities.”
Those four words 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 U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood named as a primary goal for DOT while testifying before a Senate Committee yesterday (ahead of T4 America.)
In his remarks, he made it clear that DOT and the Obama administration see the deep connections between where and how we spend transportation dollars and the quality of life for everyday Americans.
One of the clear issues with our national transportation program since 1991 is that it’s been like a huge ship without a rudder — spending billions each year without any clear goals or vision for exactly what those billions should accomplish for us. Economic development? More travel options for everyone? Making transportation affordable and safe for all Americans?
After talking at length about the many challenges facing America, Secretary LaHood made it clear that DOT will be governed by some very clear principles in the future, including better quality of life as a goal for transportation spending:
With these great challenges it is essential that our transportation policies be framed so that we can meet these demands and at the same time be consistent with the major goals I have established for guiding the actions of the Department of Transportation: economic recovery; safety; and livable and sustainable communities will be the key organizing themes as we in the Department reformulate existing policies and develop new policy directions for the future.
You can download his full remarks from the committee web site here, (.pdf) but continue reading for a few select quotes:
(Continue Reading)
U.S. Transportation and Housing Secretaries testifying about livable communities today
March 18, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Updated: Read the DOT release following the hearing here.
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.”
Secretary LaHood will be testifying on Capitol Hill today with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan about a new joint effort that might put some legs to those values from yesterday’s post.
According to today’s posting on Secretary LaHood’s blog, the two of them will be unveiling an initiative to “revitalize our downtowns, foster walkable neighborhoods, and bring people, employers, and housing closer together through public transportation.”
It’s been encouraging to hear the “livability” buzzword coming from the transportation department on a regular basis — not to mention as a centerpiece of President Obama’s platform. Of course, realizing this quality of “livability” in our communities will require significant changes in transportation spending, underscoring the importance of this year’s transportation bill before Congress. Because “livable communities” are not what we’ll get if we do exactly what we’ve done for the last 50 years.
From the rest of his post:
Fostering livable communities is a key aspect of President Obama’s urban policy agenda and Vice President Biden’s Middle Class initiative. The way we design our communities has a huge impact on our citizens’ social, physical, and economic wellbeing. Yet many Americans live in neighborhoods without sidewalks or access to public transportation.
Therefore, one of my highest priorities is to work closely with Congress, other Federal departments, the nation’s governors, and local officials to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs. By focusing on livability, we can help transform the way transportation serves the American people—and create safer, healthier communities that provide access to economic opportunities.
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- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
March 8, 2010 - Transit riders in Atlanta face massive cuts, “wholesale restructuring” of service
March 5, 2010 - Opposition to Senate extension results in looming shutdown of federal transportation programs
February 26, 2010 - T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010 - Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010
- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
The United States of Transit Cutbacks
Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
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