DOT Press release
Posted on June 22nd, 2010 by Mary deLaittre
A change in how the Fed’s are doing business – a more comprehensive integrated approach to city building. > > > Monday, June 21, 2010 > DOT No. 122-10 > DOT Contact: Olivia Alair > 202-366-4570 > > HUD No. 10-131 > HUD Contact: Andrea Mead > 202-708-0685 > > > > USDOT and HUD Launch Groundbreaking, Collaborative Effort to Create > Sustainable, Livable Communities > > Joint Effort Combines DOT TIGER II and HUD Sustainable Community > Challenge Grant Investments > > U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Housing and Urban > Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a groundbreaking > collaborative effort designed to help foster planning for more > livable, sustainable communities – places where transportation, > housing and commercial development investments are coordinated to > better serve the people living in those communities. > > Together, the U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Housing > and Urban Development (HUD), for the first time ever, will join > forces to award up to $75 million in funding – $35 million in TIGER > (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II Planning > Grants and $40 million in Sustainable Community Challenge Grants for > localized planning activities that ultimately lead to projects that > integrate transportation, housing and economic development. > > “This joint effort by DOT and HUD is a giant step toward improved > coordination at the state, federal and local levels and reinforces > the Obama Administration’s commitment to finding better ways to make > government work for people,” said Vice President Joe Biden. > “Together, their investments will strengthen communities by > connecting housing and transportation options, increasing economic > opportunities, promoting environmental sustainability and improving > their overall quality of life.” > > “This is another example of the Obama Administration giving the > American taxpayer a bigger bang for the buck. The winners will be > the people who live in communities and have access to travel options > that better serve them,” said Secretary LaHood. > > “This partnership demonstrates President Obama’s commitment to > changing the way the federal government operates by breaking down > silos and making smarter investments,” said Secretary Donovan. “This > is the first time HUD and DOT have worked together to develop a > joint grant program. For the first time, federal agencies are truly > collaborating with each other to make government work better and > build the kinds of communities where families can prosper.” > > The new program builds on the Partnership for Sustainable > Communities, an innovative new interagency collaboration, launched > by President Obama in June 2009, between the Department of > Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban > Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). > Guided by six Livability Principles, the Partnership is designed to > remove the traditional federal government silos that exist between > departments and strategically target the agencies’ transportation, > land use, environmental, housing and community development resources > to provide communities the resources they need to build more > livable, sustainable communities. > > TIGER II Planning Grants may be used to plan, prepare or design > surface transportation projects that would be eligible for funding > under the TIGER II Discretionary Grant program. These projects > include highways, bridges, transit, railways, ports or bicycle and > pedestrian facilities. > > HUD’s Sustainable Communities funding will target urban and > community planning projects that foster reform and reduce barriers > to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable > communities. Such efforts may include amending or replacing local > master plans, zoning codes, and building codes either on a > jurisdiction-wide basis or in a specific neighborhood or sector to > promote mixed-use development, affordable housing and the re-use of > older buildings for new purposes with the goal of promoting > sustainability at the local level. > > These activities, when done in conjunction with transportation > projects, can greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness > local transportation, and access to it, while encouraging mixed-use > or transit-oriented development. The program will encourage and > reward areas that are planning more innovative projects that > coordinate housing, economic development and transportation > investments. > > There are a variety of projects that may include component parts > that fall under both the DOT TIGER II Planning Grants and the HUD > Sustainable Community Challenge Grants. Rather than have applicants > proceed through two separate grant application procedures that might > be on different timelines and with different requirements, this > joint notice of funding availability (NOFA) is intended to create > one point of entry to federal resources. > > Examples could include the following: > > • Planning activities that support the development of affordable > housing near transportation through the adoption of inclusionary > zoning ordinances and other activities such as acquisition of land > for affordable housing projects. > > • Preparing or amending local codes and ordinances that prevent the > private sector from developing neighborhoods more sustainably and > inclusively, with housing located near transportation and retail. > > • Planning activities related to the development of a particular > transportation corridor or regional transportation system that > promotes mixed-use or transit-oriented development with an > affordable housing component. > > • Planning activities related to the development of a freight > corridor that seeks to reduce conflicts with residential areas and > with passenger and non-motorized traffic. In this type of project, > DOT might fund the transportation planning activities along the > corridor, and HUD might fund changes in the zoning code to support > appropriate siting of freight facilities and route the freight > traffic around town centers, residential areas and schools. > > • Developing expanded public transportation options, including > accessible public transportation and para-transit services for > individuals with disabilities, to allow individuals to live in > diverse, high opportunity communities and to commute to areas with > employment and educational opportunities. > > Under this innovative program, DOT and HUD will make joint awards, > where appropriate, as well as individual TIGER II planning grants > and HUD Sustainable Community Challenge Grants. > > The $35 million for TIGER II planning grants announced today comes > from the $600 million in TIGER II grants announced by Secretary > LaHood on May 28. The $40 million in HUD Sustainable Community > Challenge Grant funding is part of $200 million in funding approved > by congress in HUD’s FY2010 budget to launch the first ever Office > of Sustainable Housing and Communities. > > Pre-applications are due 30 days from the publication of the Notice > of Funding Availability in the Federal Register. Full applications > are due on August 23. State and local governments, including U.S. > territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities > and others, are eligible to apply for funding. For more information > on how to apply, please review the notice of funding availability > (NOFA) go to: > > http://www.dot.gov/livability/source/FINAL%20Joint%20Planning%20NOFA%20061810.pdf > > ### > > HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive > communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to > strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect > consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: > utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build > inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and > transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and > its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and > espanol.hud.gov. > > > > > > Briefing Room > > >
Mary deLaittre Groundwork groundworkcitybuilding.com 612.242.6286
