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House plan would cut high-speed rail funding, make room for livability |
| Posted: July 02, 2010 |
A House appropriations subcommittee approved a spending bill that would cut funding for high-speed rail by $1.1 billion from last year.
Still, the $1.4 billion approved by the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee would send more money to high-speed and intercity rail projects than was allotted in the president's budget. President Obama requested $1 billion for the projects as part of a five-year, $5 billion spending goal.
Congress appropriated $2.5 billion for high-speed rail in the budget for the fiscal year ending in October. An additional $8 billion for high-speed rail projects came from the stimulus act and is already being distributed to projects in California, Florida and the Midwest. Combined with appropriations for Amtrak, there is more than $3.1 billion allotted for rail projects in the entire $67.4 billion bill.
That funding is far less than the $4 billion sought by a group of 16 high-speed rail advocacy organizations. In May, the coalition urged Congress to quadruple Obama's request (E&ENews PM, May 11).
The Senate has traditionally been slower to spend on high-speed rail than the House. Last year, the House appropriated $4 billion, while the Senate pushed for $1.2 billion before the two chambers compromised on $2.5 billion. Senators have previously asked for more solid long-term plans before they approve more spending.
Money for livability
Livable communities, a pet project of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, received nearly $327 million in appropriations, along with $400 million for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.
The livable communities program would push "smart growth" transportation planning, emphasizing pedestrian and bike trails, and public transportation rather than cars. Last year, no money was appropriated for livable communities, but the president's request was matched this year for the nascent program.
Likewise, the TIGER grants would reward planners who take a holistic approach, maximizing the impact of a public transportation or road project. The program received $1.5 billion in last year's stimulus and was immediately a hit, with grant requests totaling $57 billion.
This year's appropriation of $400 million for TIGER is down from the $600 million the program received last year. The president did not request any money.
A Department of Housing and Urban Development project that would create sustainable communities also received $150 million, the same amount requested by the president and appropriated in last year's budget. The program would focus on creating livable communities from the housing side, emphasizing construction in pedestrian-accessible areas and minimizing sprawl.
The livable communities initiatives have been criticized for the perception that they are forcing people out of their cars and diverting valuable highway funds for seemingly frivolous activities like biking. However, Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, praised the spending bill's ability to balance the two priorities in his opening statement.
"I am also pleased that this bill is able to fund the Department's Livable Communities Initiative while also providing states with resources for additional highway and transit investments," Olver said. "This program will allow communities to get more out of their federal dollars through the integration of transportation, housing and energy planning processes with families reaping the rewards in the form of lowered housing and commuting costs."
The House's work on appropriations have been a slow process this year, and a committee official said there is no timetable for sending the transportation bill to the floor.
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