1.This Act may be cited as the
National Centers of Excellence for Regional Smart Growth
Planning Act
.
2.National Centers
of Excellence for Regional Smart Growth Planning
(a)Designation and
selection of national centers of excellenceIn accordance with the requirements of this
Act, the Administrator shall designate not fewer than 3 national centers of
excellence for regional smart growth planning, selected from metropolitan
planning organizations that have demonstrated regional planning excellence
by—
(1)developing and using state-of-the-art data
and modeling tools that accurately estimate travel, air pollution, greenhouse
gas emissions, and other impacts from regional land use patterns and
transportation systems;
(2)engaging a broad range of citizens and
stakeholders in regional planning in an interactive or innovative manner;
(3)forming political
consensus through regional transportation plans that predict significant
improvements in future travel patterns, air emissions, and other impacts
compared to baseline projections;
(4)showing
significant changes to land use patterns and transportation systems that
conform with regional transportation plans;
(5)maintaining
effective partnerships with local, State, and Federal agencies working on
regional smart growth planning; and
(6)providing expert
technical assistance.
(b)The Administrator shall develop guidelines
for the designation and operation of the Centers.
(c)Of
the amounts available to carry out this Act, the Administrator shall allocate
not more than $5,000,000 for each fiscal year to each Center to carry out this
section.
(d)The Centers shall—
(1)collect information and best practices
about—
(A)regional smart
growth planning;
(B)street design and
implementation of complete streets policy by local governments;
(C)transit-oriented,
mixed-use, and infl. development;
(D)use of data,
models, and performance metrics to develop smart growth plans;
(E)needed upgrades to
models from MPOs; and
(F)effective civic
engagement in regional smart growth planning;
(2)distribute smart
growth planning information and best practices to MPOs that are seeking
to—
(A)upgrade data,
models, and performance metrics;
(B)achieve greenhouse gas reductions in
regional transportation plans; or
(C)work effectively with units of local
government to coordinate regional planning and economic development
plans;
(3)make research and development
recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency and other appropriate
entities to further improve the quality and ease of smart growth
analysis;
(4)work with appropriate institutions of
higher education and State and Federal agencies to further improve smart growth
analysis; and
(5)provide technical assistance to grant
recipients under section 3.
3.
(a)The Administrator,
in consultation with the Centers, may make grants on a competitive basis to
eligible entities for—
(1)improving the
collection of data and the development of models for smart growth
planning;
(2)implementing
comprehensive regional smart growth planning programs;
(3)applying planning
outcomes in regional transportation plans; and
(4)working with units
of local governments to coordinate land use, transportation, and air quality
planning.
(b)
(1)To be eligible to
receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall submit to the
Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information and assurances as the Administrator may require.
(2)An entity is eligible to receive a grant under this
section only if such entity—
(A)is an MPO;
(B)commits to use funds to develop and
maintain a regional database that contains high quality data and modeling
capability;
(C)agrees to make a good-faith effort to
produce and adopt plans that use the latest available estimates and assumptions
for population, land use, travel, employment, congestion, and economic
activity;
(D)provides long-term
guidance to the public to minimize greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehicle
miles traveled, offering more housing choices within existing urban centers,
and incorporating new housing and employment close to existing public
transportation options; and
(E)has a demonstrated
record of working effectively with the units of local government within the
region.
(c)
(1)The Federal share of
the cost of a project under this section shall be 80 percent.
(2)The non-Federal share
of the cost of carrying out a project under this section may be provided
through an in-kind contribution.
(d)Not later than 1 year after the end of the
grant period for which an MPO receives a grant under this section, such MPO
shall submit a report to the Administrator regarding the use of such grant.
4.As used in this Act:
(1)The
term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
(2)The
term Center means a national center of excellence for regional
smart growth planning designated under section 2(a).
(3)The term
complete streets policy
means a transportation law or policy at
the local, State, regional, or Federal level that ensures—
(A)the adequate accommodation, in all phases
of project planning and development, of all users of the transportation system,
including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, children, older
individuals, motorists, and individuals with disabilities; and
(B)the consideration
of the safety and convenience of all users in all phases of project planning
and development.
(4)Institution of
higher educationThe term institution of higher
education has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(5)Metropolitan
Planning OrganizationThe term metropolitan planning
organization or MPO has the meaning given such term in
section 134(b)(2) of title 23, United States Code.
(6)The term smart
growth means policies regarding growth and development that—
(A)recognize the effects of new growth and
development, including the environmental, economic, and social costs, such
as—
(i)loss of open space, farmland, rural
landscapes, wildlife, or natural, cultural, scenic, or recreational resources;
or
(ii)high public costs for infrastructure,
public facilities, or transportation that lead to disinvestment in older urban
or suburban areas; and
(B)attempt to mitigate such effects in advance
so as to avoid or reduce the negative impacts of such effects.
5.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this Act
$65,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015.