[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2164 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2164

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to modify the authority of the 
   Secretary of Transportation to make grants for new fixed guideway 
               capital projects, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2009

Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, 
  and Mr. Klein of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to modify the authority of the 
   Secretary of Transportation to make grants for new fixed guideway 
               capital projects, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Streetcar Revitalization Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Communities throughout the United States are exploring 
        the reintroduction of streetcars.
            (2) Existing streetcar systems provide convincing evidence 
        that, for a modest cost, streetcars can provide transportation 
        choice, attract economic development, link jobs and housing, 
        and create denser, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods.
            (3) Streetcars provide transportation circulation within 
        urbanized areas to catalyze economic development and housing in 
        urban centers.
            (4) The new starts program under section 5309 of title 49, 
        United States Code, supported streetcar projects in the past, 
        but the existing small starts program under section 5309(e) of 
        such title has failed to continue this legacy.
            (5) Appropriate assessment of the value provided by 
        streetcar systems must encompass a calculation of the number of 
        automobile trips not taken, the decrease in passenger vehicle 
        miles traveled, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions 
        that result from the streetcar system.

SEC. 3. STREETCAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANTS.

    (a) Amendments to Small Starts Program.--Section 5309(e) of title 
49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading by striking ``$75,000,000'' 
        and inserting ``$100,000,000'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                    (A) by striking ``$75,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$100,000,000''; and
                    (B) by striking ``$250,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$300,000,000'';
            (3) in paragraph (1)(B)--
                    (A) in the subparagraph heading by striking 
                ``$25,000,000'' and inserting ``$50,000,000'';
                    (B) by striking ``$25,000,000'' and inserting 
                ``$50,000,000''; and
                    (C) by striking ``until such date as the final 
                regulation to be issued under paragraph (9) takes 
                effect'';
            (4) by striking paragraph (2)(B) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(B) justified based on a review of its effect on 
                local economic development, land use, travel patterns, 
                and greenhouse gas reduction potential; and'';
            (5) in paragraph (3) by adding at the end the following: 
        ``For purposes of this paragraph, the Secretary shall compare 
        the proposed project to a no build analysis to consider project 
        outcomes.'';
            (6) in paragraph (4) by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
        (E) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) determine the degree to which the project 
                will have a positive effect on local economic 
                development;
                    ``(B) determine the reduction in per capita auto 
                travel demand that will result from the completed 
                project, including related development, travel pattern, 
                and land use changes; and
                    ``(C) determine the reduction in per capita 
                greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the 
                completed project, including related development, 
                travel pattern, and land use changes.'';
            (7) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
            ``(6) Advancement of project to development and 
        construction.--A proposed project under this subsection may 
        advance from planning and alternatives analysis to project 
        development and construction only if the Secretary finds that 
        the project meets the requirements of this subsection and there 
        is a reasonable likelihood that the project will continue to 
        meet such requirements.''; and
            (8) by striking paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 5309 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ``$75,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$100,000,000'';
            (2) in the heading for subsection (d) by striking 
        ``$75,000,000'' and inserting ``$100,000,000''; and
            (3) in subsection (m)(2)(A)(i) by striking ``$75,000,000'' 
        and inserting ``$100,000,000''.
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