[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               LIVABILITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Reynolds). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, since World War II, the American dream has 
been a house in the suburbs. But in many places in our country, that 
dream is turning into a nightmare--traffic, air pollution, lost farms 
and parks and higher taxes.
  Suburban sprawl is one of the fastest growing threats to America's 
environment as prime farmland is replaced with malls, parking lots and 
housing developments.
  Unplanned suburban growth means increased traffic jams, costlier 
public services, wasted tax revenue and increased pollution.
  Most importantly, it means a deteriorating quality of life for 
ourselves and our neighbors.
  How do we explain to our children that their neighborhood wasn't 
always housing developments and shopping malls? And how many hours with 
family have been lost in traffic? How far do we have to drive to see 
and enjoy open, naturally preserved acres?
  We need to change the way cities think about growth and plan their 
development.
  It is for those reasons that I support the Transportation and 
Community and System Preservation Pilot program, otherwise known as 
TCSP. The TCSP program was created by the Transportation Equity Act for 
the 21st Century. It is an initiative consisting of research and grants 
that to communities as they work to solve interrelated problems 
involving transportation, land development, environmental protection, 
public safety, and economic development.
  Of the 35 projects selected from an initial pool of 524 applications, 
two grants were awarded to New Jersey. One project in Northern New 
Jersey will prepare modern intermodal freight infrastructure to support 
brownfield economic redevelopment. The completed plan will address 
needed transportation access to brownfield sites and effectively market 
the sites for freight related activities. In addition, it will provide 
new employment opportunities for residents, reduce the volume of trucks 
on regional roads, and safeguard the environment.
  The second project, Transit-friendly Communities for New Jersey, will 
work with diverse community partners to develop specific ways that New 
Jersey towns can become more ``transit friendly.'' By building on both 
New Jersey Transit's initiatives to make train stations themselves 
``passenger friendly'' and on statewide ``smart growth'' initiatives to 
reduce sprawl, we can encourage new development within walking distance 
of transit stations. It also allows New Jersey Transit leverage the 
resources of its non-profit and government partners to shape the future 
of communities around transit stations well into the future.

  The results will be models for other New Jersey communities to follow 
in future projects. In addition, the project will ensure that 
communities understand how transportation investments can enhance the 
environment, create strong downtown centers, and improve quality of 
life. Moreover, New Jersey Transit is committed to using the process 
developed under this program as a way to change innovative efforts from 
``pilot projects'' to ``the way we always do business.'' With its 
diversity of station types and communities, this program will be a 
model for the nation.
  By funding innovative activities at the neighborhood, local, 
metropolitan, state, and regional level, the TCSP program will increase 
our knowledge of the costs and benefits of different approaches to 
integrating transportation investments with community preservation 
efforts, land development patterns, and environmental protection.
  These strategies will help New Jersey grow according to their best 
values by: improving the efficiency of the transportation system; 
reducing environmental impacts of transportation; reducing the need for 
costly future public infrastructure investments; ensuring efficient 
access to jobs, services, and centers of trade; and examining private 
sector developmental patterns and investments that support these goals.
  The reason for this initiative is clear.
  Across America, we are discovering that livable communities--places 
with a high quality of life--are more economically competitive 
communities.
  The way we build and develop determines whether economic growth comes 
at the expense of community and family life, or enhances it.
  By helping communities pursue smart growth through initiatives such 
as the TCSP program, we can build a better America for our children.

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