Uncategorized

Funding Opportunity: U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces $826.5 Million Investment in Transit Vehicles and Facilities

By ·

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announces the availability of $826.5 million to modernize and repair transit around the country, underscoring President Obama’s dedication to infrastructure investments.

“An American economy that’s built to last must be built on a solid foundation, and when we have buses, transit facilities, and other equipment that’s in disrepair, we simply cannot afford to ignore them,” Secretary LaHood said. “The
President knows that transportation projects like those we’ll fund from today’s announcement will help provide businesses and families with the safest, fastest, most efficient way to connect with opportunity.”

Uncategorized

Obama Administration’s support for Partnership for Sustainable Communities, revitalization programs in FY 2013 budget helps create great communities nationwide

By ·

Washington DC — In providing full funding in its fiscal 2013 budget for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the Obama Administration has strengthened one of its most innovative inter-agency programs and has reaffirmed the numerous benefits that come from efforts to address housing, transportation and environmental needs in a coordinated manner.

Smart Growth America applauds Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget request to restore funding for the Sustainable Communities Initiative at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Partnership’s programs at the two other participating agencies, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, would remain funded at current levels, preserving their ability to aid communities across the country.

“The Partnership represents an unprecedented level of interaction between government agencies, aligning them in a way that supports economic growth and uses taxpayer dollars more effectively,” said Geoffrey Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “It’s great to see that in these tough economic times, the Administration is investing in programs that help to cut through government red-tape and generate fiscal savings for our local communities. Improving access to affordable housing, creating more transportation options, and protecting the environment equates to a win-win-win for our economy.”

Uncategorized

Speak out for Main Streets in the Senate transportation bill

By ·

Last week, the House of Representatives introduced their surface transportation reauthorization bill. Their proposal, H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, threatens to derail federal funding for public transportation, and we’re still fighting to change their proposed bill. If you were one of the many supporters who spoke out against H.R. 7, thank you.

This week, the Senate has begun working on its version of the bill and we need your help to make it as strong as possible.

A bipartisan amendment to the Senate bill sponsored by Senator Cardin of Maryland and Senator Cochran of Mississippi would give local governments a larger say over a share of state transportation dollars. This change to the current bill would give local leaders a greater voice and more direct access to money for projects like main street revitalization.

Will you speak out for Main Streets in the Senate transportation bill? Click here to send a letter to your Senators.

As it’s currently written, the Senate bill would take the limited funds once dedicated to improving safety and conditions for people on foot and bike, and transfer them to state departments of transportation for expensive highway construction instead.

The Senate vote could happen as soon as this week, and this amendment is one of the most important that we’ll see. By setting money aside, the Cardin-Cochran amendment would ensure local communities can get the money they need for the projects they want.

Take one minute to send a message to your Senators: Ask them to support the Cardin-Cochran amendment today.

If you think our transportation bill should give communities the resources they need to build Main Streets that are attractive to businesses, pedestrian friendly and safer for everyone using them, tell your Senator to sponsor this amendment.

Uncategorized

Partnership for Sustainable Communities Web Briefing

By ·

Join us Thursday, February 16th at 3:00 PM ET to hear from the senior leadership of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency for a briefing on the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

Beth Osborne (DOT), Shelley Potichia (HUD), and Tim Torma (EPA) will talk about the President’s 2013 Budget, outline the work that each Partnership agency plans to do in the upcoming year, and give an update on grants and programs.

Uncategorized

Smart growth gaining traction during economic downturn

By ·

Smart Growth America’s President and CEO Geoff Anderson and Vice President of Policy and Research Bill Fulton sat down last week with the San Diego Union Tribune‘s Roger Showley to talk about places using smart growth strategies in a tough economic climate and the state of the smart growth movement. From ‘Smart Growth’ gaining traction in downturn:

Q: What is the state of smart growth at a time of slow growth and economic stagnation?

Geoffrey Anderson: Smart growth is gaining traction, particularly if you look over a 15-to-20-year perspective. If you think back to the mid-’90s when cities were almost assumed to be dead — relics of a past age that were overtaken by the domination of auto-oriented suburbs — the contrast between that view of walkable neighborhoods, of smart growth and what we see today, is striking by any measure, and nowhere more so than how the market views it. There was a lot of skepticism among the private sector that this was something people wanted, and now it’s practically a given by a lot of the development community.

Q: What’s driving this change?

Anderson: We’d be fools to discount the impact of changing demographics. The difference between the 1960s, when half the households had kids and today’s (is that) it’s 30 percent and headed downward — you can’t overstate that difference in the population. We’ve built up a regulatory, financial and development infrastructure to serve that market. Look away for a second and it’s changed, and we forgot to change with it.

Q: How has smart growth played out in the real estate recession?

Anderson: Part of what we’ve learned is where we have really overbuilt. Virtually every place around the country forms a concentric circle. Moving out, values have been dropping. You see center areas and walkable areas holding values best, and large-lot, drive-only places are losing value.

Read the full article: ‘Smart Growth’ gaining traction in downturn (San Diego Union Tribune, February 13, 2012).

Uncategorized

Call your Representatives to oppose a House transportation bill so "uniquely bad" it "defies belief"

By ·

Today, thousands of people from across the country are calling their representatives in the House to urge them to vote “NO” vote on HR 7, the House transportation bill. The House bill would eliminate dedicated funding for public transportation – a crucial component of smart growth development – and negatively impact business expansion and job creation when America needs them most. The bill would also eliminate the tiny amount of funding that helps make dangerous streets and roads safer for pedestrians, cyclsts and drivers alike. The bill fails to go far enough to fix the country’s bridges and roads, and also fails to create more options for getting around.

America needs an updated federal transportation bill, but this proposal is not it. Join the fight to improve this bill by calling your Representative today.

Today, Smart Growth America and Transportation for America are part of a massive national call-in day rallying opposition to this bill from an unbelievably broad set of groups. Environmental activists, business leaders, labor union members, transit riders and transit workers, elected officials – the list keeps growing, and we all agree that the House bill makes two steps backward for every step forward.

Uncategorized

Partnership in the News: Millis Undertakes Study to Spur Development

By ·

The Town of Millis, Massachusetts is soon to benefit from a portion of the $4 million Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Planning grant awarded to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, reports the Milford Daily News.

To help spur development of the town center, Millis will participate in a feasibility study with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to encourage new housing and business opportunities.

Millis is hoping to create a “more vibrant” downtown area, and applied for the study in August, said Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall.

Uncategorized

Spotlight on Sustainability: Columbia, TN

By ·

The heart of Columbia, Tennessee lies along a highway and commercial corridor; the James Campbell Boulevard. It was built at the city’s peak when demand was high for retail space and office buildings, but in the past several decades the needs of the City have changed. With the third slowest growth rate in the state of Tennessee, Columbia is in decline. It has the highest unemployment rate of any city of its size in the state and 20 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Not only has Columbia failed to attract new residents, with more and more families choosing to settle in neighboring Middle Tennessee cities, but the city is losing the young millennial generation, that many recognize as key to attracting local investments and maintaining a vibrant economy.

Uncategorized

Smart Growth America stands with Transportation for America in opposition to House energy and transportation bill

By ·

Last week, the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, along with a companion measure eliminating dedicated funding for public transportation. James Corless, Director of Transportation for America, released the following statement:

“For more than three years, our coalition has worked hard for an updated federal transportation program that meets our needs in the 21st century; that creates jobs and lays the foundation for a rejuvenated economy; that balances the need to keep our highway system strong while augmenting it with other options. We still remain urgently committed to that goal.

“It is with deep disappointment, therefore, that we in the Transportation for America coalition find ourselves compelled to oppose the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act as advanced by House leadership. While we commend Chairman Mica (R-FL) for doing what he can to move a long-term transportation bill forward, the full legislation that is now heading to the floor of the House has significant fatal flaws.

Uncategorized
  • …
  • …