I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2163 

To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for certain 

streetcar 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 authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants 

for certain streetcar projects, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fast Starts Act of 

5 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Communities around the United States have 

9 expended time and resources to utilize the Small 


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1 Starts program under section 5309(e) of title 49, 

2 United States Code, for streetcar projects. 

3 (2) A delay in authorizing grants under the 

4 Small Starts program has created a backlog of 

5 streetcar projects requiring attention outside of that 

6 program. 

7 (3) Streetcar projects create jobs during both 

8 their construction and operation throughout the cor9 ridor in which the projects are developed. 

10 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR CERTAIN STREETCAR PROJECTS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 

12 is authorized to make grants to States and local govern13 mental authorities to assist the financing of streetcar 

14 projects in accordance with this section. 

15 (b) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—To be eligible for a grant 

16 under subsection (a), the State or local governmental au17 thority applying for a grant shall submit to the Secretary, 

18 not later than March 1, 2010, an application certifying 

19 that the streetcar project to be assisted by such grant— 

20 (1) is supported by an acceptable degree of 

21 local financial commitment; 

22 (2) has met the environmental requirements 

23 necessary to begin construction; and 

24 (3) is a project with respect to which construc25 tion can begin not later than March 1, 2012. 


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1 (c) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make a 

3 grant under subsection (a) with respect to a street4 car project only if the Secretary finds that the 

5 project is— 

6 (A) based on the results of planning and 

7 alternatives analysis; 

8 (B) justified based on a review of its effect 

9 on local economic development, land use, travel 

10 patterns, and greenhouse gas reduction poten11 tial; and 

12 (C) supported by an acceptable degree of 

13 local financial commitment. 

14 (2) PLANNING AND ALTERNATIVES.—In evalu15 ating a project under paragraph (1)(A), the Sec16 retary shall analyze and consider the results of plan17 ning and alternatives analysis for the project. For 

18 purposes of this paragraph, the Secretary shall com19 pare the project to a no build analysis to consider 

20 project outcomes. 

21 (3) PROJECT JUSTIFICATION.—For purposes of 

22 making the finding under paragraph (1)(B), the 

23 Secretary shall determine— 


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1 (A) the degree to which the project will 

2 have a positive effect on local economic develop3 ment; 

4 (B) the reduction in per capita auto travel 

5 demand that will result from the completed 

6 project, including related development, travel 

7 pattern, and land use changes; and 

8 (C) the reduction in per capita greenhouse 

9 gas emissions that will result from the com10 pleted project, including related development, 

11 travel pattern, and land use changes. 

12 (4) LOCAL FINANCIAL COMMITMENT.—For pur13 poses of paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary shall re14 quire that each proposed local source of capital and 

15 operating financing is stable, reliable, and available 

16 within the timetable of the project. 

17 (d) AMOUNT LIMITATION.—With respect to a street18 car project for which a grant is made under subsection 

19 (a), the sum of the amounts of grants made under sub20 section (a) to assist such project may not exceed 

21 $60,000,000. 

22 (e) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FUNDING.—A street23 car project for which a grant is made under subsection 

24 (a) is not prohibited from receiving assistance under any 

25 other Federal program. 


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1 (f) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

2 of a streetcar project, or portion of a streetcar project, 

3 for which a grant is made under subsection (a) shall be 

4 100 percent. 

5 (g) STREETCAR PROJECT DEFINED.—In this section, 

6 the term ‘‘streetcar project’’ means a new fixed guideway 

7 capital project that is electricity and rail based. 

8 (h) OTHER DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the defi9 nitions contained in sections 5302 and 5309 of title 49, 

10 United States Code, apply. 

11 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

12 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

13 $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2010. 

14 (j) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts made 

15 available to carry out this section shall remain available 

16 until expended. 

Æ 


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