WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–The Obama administration said Wednesday it would begin steering more funds toward streetcars, local bus routes and other projects aimed at reducing sprawl, rescinding George W. Bush-era rules that targeted transit funds toward only the most cost-effective projects.
The policy change announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood would give the agency more flexibility in rewarding a broader array of transit projects than existing rules allow.
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.
-By Josh Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6637; joshua.mitchell@dowjones.com
via New US Rules To Favor Streetcars, Other ‘Livability’ Projects – WSJ.com.
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