Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)

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SAFTEA-LU Links

Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) www.transact.org

Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) transportation1.org/aashtonew

American Public Transportation Association (APTA) www.apta.com/government_affairs/safetea_lu/index.cfm

Past Articles

It took almost two years, but was SAFETEA-LU worth the wait? Going into the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill, TEA 21, one of the primary goals that our local and national coalitions had was to maintain the reforms enacted with ISTEA. That goal was met and the ISTEA framework was protected. The bill also provided some significant improvements. A few of those improvements include:

  • Increased consideration of land use and wildlife habitat protection in the transportation planning process
  • A safety program with additional commitments to pedestrian and bicycle safety
  • A $122 million average annual Safe Routes to School program
  • A new $90 million annual rural safety program for local road improvements
  • A 27 percent increase in average annual funding for CMAQ
  • An 11.25 percent increase for the STP program
  • Funding for MPOs increased by 57 percent
  • Increase in "new start" transit project funding, especially bus rapid transit (BRT)
  • New emphasis on context sensitive design for transportation projects
  • Maintenance of the bus and rail modernization program
  • Increased eligibility for intercity freight rail projects from National Highway System funds

    • Many of the research reports that we release with the STPP use data from federal reports. We will be better able to determine how federal funds are spent due to the expanded FHWA program and financial reporting requirements. Although we lost the funding set-aside for stormwater management, the new bill includes new funding eligibility for mitigation and remediation of problems created due to stormwater runoff, impervious surfaces and loss of natural hydrology and aquifer recharge. Not all components of our reauthorization agenda were included in the law, but a significant number were. We will have to wait and see if it was worth the wait.