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Spending
Bill Advances in Congress
On
June 16, the U.S. Senate passed S. 2720, the transportation
appropriations bill for FY 2000. The bill funds highways at $30.7
billion
and transit programs at $6.3 billion, levels that are identical
with the
House bill passed on May 19 and with the increases guaranteed
under
TEA-21. Although details of the bill remain nebulous, it appears
that
appropriators have earmarked the lion’s share of the TEA-21’s
competitive grant programs, leaving small levels in discretionary
funds
for programs such as the Transportation and Community and System
Preservation Program. The bill is expected to come up in
conference
committee later this month.
For details on the legislation, see
USDOT Proposes New
Planning,
Environmental Review & ITS Rules
On
May 25, USDOT published its proposed rules for
updating several existing regulations related to transportation
planning,
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Intelligent
Transportation Systems. Although the planning rules are intended
to bring
existing regulations into line with TEA-21, they do little to
clarify how
TEA-21’s seven "planning factors" should be applied as plans
are developed or how states and MPOs should develop funding
estimates for
metropolitan areas in a cooperative fashion. The public has until
August
24 to comment.
The text is available at >
Administration Reports
on Livable Communities
On
June 9, the Clinton-Gore administration an-
nounced a new 30-point Livable Communities report that includes
proposals
for expanding transportation choices, creating parks, protecting
the
environment, increasing public safety, and investing in education.
For details on the Livable
Communities
proposal, see >
HUD Reports on Major
Trends Shaping Cities
The
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment released its annual report last month, citing four megaforces
shaping
cities in the coming years: a new high-tech, global economy;
changing
demographics; lower housing affordability, and decentralization.
These
four factors are expected to have severe consequences for the
quality of
life in both cities and suburbs - eroding environmental quality
and
increasing traffic congestion, while increasing pressure for new
infrastructure at the edge.
To read the HUD report, "The State
of
the Cities 2000: Megaforces Shaping the Future of the Nation’s
Cities," visit |
