I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2609 

To establish an Office of Livability in the Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 21, 2011 

Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, and Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To establish an Office of Livability in the Office of the 

Secretary of Transportation, 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 ‘‘Enhancing Livability 

5 for All Americans Act of 2011’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Since the creation of the Interstate System, 

9 United States surface transportation has been de10 fined by the use of personal motor vehicles. 


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1 (2) The focus on automobiles has afforded the 

2 people of the United States increased mobility and 

3 interconnectivity, but has also resulted in increased 

4 congestion, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and a 

5 reduced focus on other modes of surface transpor6 tation. 

7 (3) Between 1955 and 2005, vehicle miles trav8 eled in the United States increased fivefold, bringing 

9 with it an escalation in traffic congestion. 

10 (4) Each year, Americans spend 4,200,000,000 

11 hours in traffic congestion, burning 2,900,000,000 

12 gallons of fuel. 

13 (5) Wasted time and fuel result in a 

14 $78,000,000,000 annual congestion tax, creating a 

15 financial drain on individuals and the economy as a 

16 whole. 

17 (6) The transportation sector accounts for 22 

18 percent of the greenhouse gases emitted annually in 

19 the United States, with 60 percent of the emissions 

20 coming from personal motor vehicle use. 

21 (7) Transportation costs account for approxi22 mately 18 percent of an average household’s expend23 itures. 


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1 (8) Over reliance on automobiles can have ad2 verse impacts on public health, both through less3 ened physical activity and from increased pollutants. 

4 (9) In order to reduce the financial, environ5 mental, and quality of life impacts of traffic conges6 tion and to create modal choice for all users, the 

7 United States transportation system must include 

8 alternate modes of transportation to complement 

9 personal motor vehicle travel, including public tran10 sit, walking, and bicycling. 

11 (10) Public transit, walking, and bicycling are 

12 sustainable modes of transportation that result in 

13 5,600,000,000 gallons of fuel savings and reduce 

14 carbon dioxide emissions by 49,000,000 metric tons 

15 each year. 

16 (11) Sustainable modes of transportation can 

17 provide affordable transportation choices and have 

18 the ability to reduce the transportation cost burden. 

19 (12) Bicyclists and pedestrians are intended 

20 users of the surface transportation system, except 

21 where prohibited by law, and it is the policy of the 

22 Federal Government to encourage maximum accessi23 bility and safety with respect to the surface trans24 portation system for bicyclists and pedestrians as inVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:50 Jul 22, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2609.IH H2609

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1 tended users when designing and constructing sur2 face transportation facilities. 

3 (13) In order to provide access to sustainable 

4 modes of transportation, land use and planning deci5 sions must include consideration of transportation 

6 options. 

7 (14) A modally balanced surface transportation 

8 system will benefit all users through improved acces9 sibility, mobility, and quality of life. 

10 (15) Increasing the availability and use of sus11 tainable modes of transportation and the develop12 ment of livable communities are priorities of the 

13 United States. 

14 SEC. 3. OFFICE OF LIVABILITY. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 23, United 

16 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol17 lowing: 

18 ‘‘§ 330. Office of Livability 

19 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab20 lish within the Office of the Secretary an office to be 

21 known as the ‘Office of Livability’ (in this section referred 

22 to as the ‘Office’) to— 

23 ‘‘(1) provide funding, leadership, and support 

24 for transportation projects, planning, and policies at 

25 all levels of government that enhance livability; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) work to create and maintain a safe, reli2 able, integrated, and accessible transportation net3 work that improves the economic and social well4 being of the people of the United States by enhanc5 ing choices for transportation users that— 

6 ‘‘(A) provide easy access to employment 

7 opportunities and other destinations; and 

8 ‘‘(B) promote positive effects on the sur9 rounding community and environment. 

10 ‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall be headed 

12 by a director who shall be known as the ‘‘Director 

13 of the Office of Livability’’ (in this section referred 

14 to as the ‘Director’) and who shall be appointed by 

15 the Secretary. 

16 ‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The duties of the Director shall 

17 be to— 

18 ‘‘(A) manage the programs of the Office; 

19 ‘‘(B) provide leadership within the Depart20 ment of Transportation and throughout the 

21 United States with respect to Federal livability 

22 transportation policies; and 

23 ‘‘(C) work collaboratively to ensure the ex24 peditious and successful implementation of the 

25 projects and programs of other offices within 


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1 the Department of Transportation relating to 

2 livability. 

3 ‘‘(c) GRANT PROGRAMS.—The Director shall estab4 lish and carry out the grant programs established under 

5 this section by— 

6 ‘‘(1) developing applications and criteria for the 

7 programs; 

8 ‘‘(2) issuing regulations with respect to the pro9 grams; 

10 ‘‘(3) selecting the recipients of grants under the 

11 programs; 

12 ‘‘(4) creating performance measures for recipi13 ents of grants under the programs; 

14 ‘‘(5) monitoring and evaluating the performance 

15 of recipients of grants under the programs; 

16 ‘‘(6) developing technical assistance and other 

17 guidance to assist potential applicants, applicants, 

18 and recipients of grants under the programs; and 

19 ‘‘(7) carrying out other activities with respect to 

20 the programs determined necessary by the Director. 

21 ‘‘(d) GRANT PROGRAM FOR PROJECTS.— 

22 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall es23 tablish and carry out a grant program (in this sub24 section referred to as the ‘program’) to award grants 

25 on a competitive basis to eligible entities specified in 


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1 paragraph (2) to assist capital investments in sur2 face transportation projects that have a significant 

3 impact on a region, metropolitan area, community, 

4 or neighborhood. 

5 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of 

6 paragraph (1), the following are eligible entities: 

7 ‘‘(A) A State government. 

8 ‘‘(B) A local government. 

9 ‘‘(C) The government of a territory of the 

10 United States. 

11 ‘‘(D) The government of an Indian tribe. 

12 ‘‘(E) A transit agency. 

13 ‘‘(F) A port authority. 

14 ‘‘(G) A metropolitan planning organiza15 tion. 

16 ‘‘(H) Any other political subdivision of a 

17 State or local government. 

18 ‘‘(I) A multimodal or multi-State entity 

19 composed of entities specified in subparagraphs 

20 (A) through (H). 

21 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY AND PRIORITY OF

22 PROJECTS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) ELIGIBILITY.—A grant under the 

24 program shall be used for a transportation 

25 project that enhances livability. To be eligible 


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1 for a grant under the program, an applicant 

2 must demonstrate the following: 

3 ‘‘(i) The proposed project of the appli4 cant will take place in a community with a 

5 transportation system characterized by, in 

6 the determination of the Director, a major7 ity of the following: 

8 ‘‘(I) Poor accessibility with re9 spect to job centers, schools, and 

10 other urban areas in the region. 

11 ‘‘(II) Limited transportation op12 tions for residents, particularly for in13 dividuals living in high-poverty areas, 

14 the elderly, and individuals with a dis15 ability. 

16 ‘‘(III) Limited access and safety 

17 with respect to all transportation 

18 modes, including bicycling and walk19 ing, and an overall record of poor 

20 transportation safety. 

21 ‘‘(IV) Limited connectivity 

22 among existing transportation modes. 

23 ‘‘(V) Significant congestion. 


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1 ‘‘(VI) Significant urban sprawl 

2 characterized by low population den3 sity. 

4 ‘‘(VII) Poor air and water qual5 ity. 

6 ‘‘(VIII) Limited green space and 

7 greenways. 

8 ‘‘(IX) An excessive average vehi9 cle miles traveled per resident. 

10 ‘‘(ii) The applicant has established 

11 performance measures to evaluate the ef12 fectiveness of the proposed project. 

13 ‘‘(iii) The applicant will utilize context 

14 sensitive solutions and public involvement 

15 in project development to ensure that the 

16 project reflects community and environ17 mental values. 

18 ‘‘(iv) There is a commitment to imple19 mentation of the proposed project on the 

20 part of key local political leadership and 

21 stakeholder groups, including metropolitan 

22 planning organizations. 

23 ‘‘(v) The proposed project is able to 

24 begin implementation not later than one 


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1 year after the date on which grant 

2 amounts are received. 

3 ‘‘(B) PRIORITIES.—The Director shall give 

4 priority in awarding grants under the program 

5 to transportation projects that include at least 

6 two or more of the following: 

7 ‘‘(i) Provision of an increased number 

8 of transportation options, including bicy9 cling and walking, to improve access to 

10 housing, jobs, businesses, services, and so11 cial activities, particularly for low-income 

12 individuals and populations without access 

13 to a motor vehicle. 

14 ‘‘(ii) Design of streets and transit and 

15 rail stations to enable safe and equitable 

16 access for all users. 

17 ‘‘(iii) Improvement of the safety of a 

18 transportation system, facility, or network. 

19 ‘‘(iv) Reduction of greenhouse gas and 

20 criteria pollutant emissions, enhancement 

21 of wildlife habitat, or an increase in green 

22 spaces. 

23 ‘‘(v) Reduction of exposure to criteria 

24 pollutants and other public health risks, 


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1 particularly for low-income and at-risk 

2 communities. 

3 ‘‘(vi) Use of innovative land use strat4 egies to better coordinate transportation, 

5 housing, and development. 

6 ‘‘(vii) Strong collaboration among a 

7 broad range of participants or the integra8 tion of transportation projects with other 

9 public service efforts. 

10 ‘‘(viii) Revitalization of main streets 

11 and downtowns by making transportation 

12 improvements that encourage greater use 

13 of such areas. 

14 ‘‘(ix) Support for community in-fill, 

15 transit-oriented development, or neighbor16 hood revitalization activities. 

17 ‘‘(x) Support for goals or projects in18 cluded in a long range transportation plan. 

19 ‘‘(4) SIZE DIVERSITY.—In awarding grants 

20 under the program, the Director shall award— 

21 ‘‘(A) at least 25 percent of the amount 

22 available for grants under the program to 

23 projects located in communities with a popu24 lation of not more than 200,000 individuals 


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1 (which may include amounts awarded pursuant 

2 to subparagraph (B)); and 

3 ‘‘(B) at least 10 percent of the amount 

4 available for grants under the program to 

5 projects located in communities with a popu6 lation of not more than 50,000 individuals. 

7 ‘‘(5) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts 

8 made available to a recipient of a grant under the 

9 program shall remain available for the 3 fiscal years 

10 beginning after the fiscal year in which amounts are 

11 provided. Amounts unobligated by the recipient at 

12 the end of such period shall be redistributed by the 

13 Director to other eligible entities under the program. 

14 ‘‘(6) ANNUAL REPORT.—As a condition of re15 ceiving a grant under the program, the recipient of 

16 the grant shall submit to the Director, each fiscal 

17 year in which the grant amounts are received, a re18 port that, at a minimum— 

19 ‘‘(A) lists and describes the projects and 

20 activities carried out by the recipient during the 

21 fiscal year; and 

22 ‘‘(B) describes and analyzes the impact of 

23 the projects and activities with respect to the 

24 objectives of programs and activities under this 

25 section. 


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1 ‘‘(e) GRANT PROGRAM FOR INNOVATIVE PLAN2 NING.— 

3 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall es4 tablish and carry out a grant program (in this sub5 section referred to as the ‘program’) to award grants 

6 on a competitive basis to eligible entities specified in 

7 paragraph (2) to assist communities in developing 

8 strategic growth plans that provide a vision and 

9 goals for development with respect to at least a 20- 

10 year period and that integrate long-term transpor11 tation and land use planning. 

12 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of 

13 paragraph (1), the following are eligible entities: 

14 ‘‘(A) A State government. 

15 ‘‘(B) A regional planning organization. 

16 ‘‘(C) A metropolitan planning organization. 

17 ‘‘(D) A local government. 

18 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY FOR GRANTS.—The Director 

19 shall give priority in awarding grants under the pro20 gram to applicants that demonstrate the following: 

21 ‘‘(A) The proposed strategic growth plan 

22 of the applicant is for a community with a 

23 transportation system characterized by, in the 

24 determination of the Director, a majority of the 

25 following: 


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1 ‘‘(i) Poor accessibility with respect to 

2 job centers, schools, and other urban areas 

3 in the region. 

4 ‘‘(ii) Limited transportation options 

5 for residents, particularly for individuals 

6 living in high-poverty areas, the elderly, 

7 and individuals with a disability. 

8 ‘‘(iii) Limited access and safety with 

9 respect to all transportation modes, includ10 ing bicycling and walking, and an overall 

11 record of poor transportation safety. 

12 ‘‘(iv) Limited connectivity among ex13 isting transportation modes. 

14 ‘‘(v) Significant congestion. 

15 ‘‘(vi) Significant urban sprawl charac16 terized by low population density. 

17 ‘‘(vii) Poor air and water quality. 

18 ‘‘(viii) Limited green space and green19 ways. 

20 ‘‘(ix) An excessive average vehicle 

21 miles traveled per resident. 

22 ‘‘(B) Multijurisdictional partnerships and 

23 engagement with local jurisdictions, transit 

24 agencies and service providers, and housing and 

25 land use entities. 


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1 ‘‘(C) The ability to complete a strategic 

2 growth plan in an effective and timely manner. 

3 ‘‘(D) The ability to incorporate the stra4 tegic growth plan into a long range transpor5 tation plan. 

6 ‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS ON STRATEGIC GROWTH

7 PLANS.—A strategic growth plan for which a grant 

8 is awarded under the program shall develop a vision 

9 and goals for enhancing livability. The recipient of 

10 a grant under the program shall coordinate with 

11 local jurisdictions, transit agencies and service pro12 viders, and housing and land use entities and shall 

13 develop a strategic growth plan that— 

14 ‘‘(A) furthers the creation of livable com15 munities; 

16 ‘‘(B) incorporates the development of fea17 sible steps for implementing the plan, including 

18 interjurisdictional agreements that provide for 

19 cooperative and coordinated approaches to 

20 achieving plan goals; 

21 ‘‘(C) assesses projected regional population 

22 growth or loss and other demographic changes, 

23 including by creating 2 to 4 alternative growth 

24 scenarios; 


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1 ‘‘(D) assesses how regional population 

2 growth or loss and other demographic changes 

3 may impact the need for housing, community 

4 development, and transportation, including pub5 lic transportation, in the region; 

6 ‘‘(E) assesses existing transportation cor7 ridors and includes strategies for maintaining 

8 the corridors and for enhancing development 

9 along the corridors; 

10 ‘‘(F) assesses the accessibility of job cen11 ters in the region with respect to public trans12 portation facilities and housing, including af13 fordable and public housing; 

14 ‘‘(G) assesses transportation options in the 

15 region, including— 

16 ‘‘(i) public transportation options, in17 cluding intercity and high-speed rail; 

18 ‘‘(ii) options for individuals with low 

19 incomes, individuals living in high-poverty 

20 areas, the elderly, and individuals with a 

21 disability; and 

22 ‘‘(iii) any obstacles to providing access 

23 to locations that offer employment oppor24 tunities, including those in other urban 

25 areas in the region; 


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1 ‘‘(H) assesses the daily vehicle miles trav2 eled in the region and the opportunities for re3 ducing growth in daily vehicle miles traveled 

4 and traffic congestion in the region; 

5 ‘‘(I) assesses the environmental and public 

6 health needs of the region and incorporates 

7 strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emis8 sions, improving air and water quality, and re9 mediating brownfield sites; 

10 ‘‘(J) includes strategies for adding new ca11 pacity for public transportation and increasing 

12 ridership on public transportation; 

13 ‘‘(K) includes strategies for supporting the 

14 development of location-efficient and transit-ori15 ented development; 

16 ‘‘(L) includes strategies for revitalizing 

17 communities, neighborhoods, and commercial 

18 centers by supporting existing infrastructure; 

19 ‘‘(M) includes strategies for coordinating 

20 the provision of transportation services to indi21 viduals with low incomes, the elderly, and indi22 viduals with a disability; 

23 ‘‘(N) includes strategies for reducing the 

24 combined costs of housing and transportation, 

25 particularly for low-income households; and 


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1 ‘‘(O) assesses public lands and waters and 

2 includes strategies for maintaining or enhancing 

3 the amount of public lands and waters. 

4 ‘‘(5) SIZE DIVERSITY.—In awarding grants 

5 under the program, the Director shall award— 

6 ‘‘(A) at least 25 percent of the amount 

7 available for grants under the program to plans 

8 for communities with a population of not more 

9 than 200,000 individuals (which may include 

10 amounts awarded pursuant to subparagraph 

11 (B)); and 

12 ‘‘(B) at least 10 percent of the amount 

13 available for grants under the program to plans 

14 for communities with a population of not more 

15 than 50,000 individuals. 

16 ‘‘(6) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts 

17 made available to a recipient of a grant under the 

18 program shall remain available for the 3 fiscal years 

19 beginning after the fiscal year in which amounts are 

20 provided. Amounts unobligated by the recipient at 

21 the end of such period shall be redistributed by the 

22 Director to other eligible entities under the program. 

23 ‘‘(7) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNTS.—The Direc24 tor shall establish the maximum amount of a grant 

25 under the program for each of the following: 


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1 ‘‘(A) Recipients developing a strategic 

2 growth plan for a community with a population 

3 of not more than 50,000 individuals. 

4 ‘‘(B) Recipients developing a strategic 

5 growth plan for a community with a population 

6 of more than 50,000 individuals and not more 

7 than 200,000 individuals. 

8 ‘‘(C) Recipients developing a strategic 

9 growth plan for a community with a population 

10 of more than 200,000 individuals and not more 

11 than 1,000,000 individuals. 

12 ‘‘(D) Recipients developing a strategic 

13 growth plan for a community with a population 

14 of more than 1,000,000 individuals and not 

15 more than 3,000,000 individuals. 

16 ‘‘(E) Recipients developing a strategic 

17 growth plan for a community with a population 

18 of more than 3,000,000 individuals. 

19 ‘‘(8) ANNUAL REPORT.—As a condition of re20 ceiving a grant under the program, the recipient of 

21 the grant shall submit to the Director, each fiscal 

22 year in which the grant amounts are received, a re23 port that, at a minimum— 


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1 ‘‘(A) lists and describes the projects and 

2 activities carried out by the recipient during the 

3 fiscal year; 

4 ‘‘(B) describes and analyzes the impact of 

5 the projects and activities with respect to the 

6 objectives of programs and activities under this 

7 section; 

8 ‘‘(C) includes a set of performance meas9 ures to evaluate the strategic growth plan of 

10 the recipient, including measures with respect 

11 to the evaluation of economic development, 

12 quality of life, transportation costs, public 

13 health and safety, equitable access to transpor14 tation options, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas 

15 emission reductions and other environmental 

16 impacts, and transportation system conditions 

17 and connectivity; and 

18 ‘‘(D) describes innovative planning and 

19 public participation methods developed and im20 plemented, including for engaging regional em21 ployers, public health and housing providers, 

22 and transportation users, including individuals 

23 with low incomes, the elderly, and individuals 

24 with a disability; 


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1 ‘‘(f) DEVELOPMENT OF STATISTICAL AND ANALYT2 ICAL CAPABILITIES.—The Director shall develop statis3 tical and analytical capabilities, in conjunction, when ap4 propriate, with other entities in the executive branch (in5 cluding the Environmental Protection Agency and the De6 partment of Housing and Urban Development) and with 

7 other entities within the Department of Transportation 

8 (including other offices within the Federal Highway Ad9 ministration, the Federal Transit Administration, the 

10 Federal Railroad Administration, the National Highway 

11 Traffic Safety Administration, and the Bureau of Trans12 portation Statistics) to ascertain, and shall determine, the 

13 following using the best available research methodologies: 

14 ‘‘(1) The percentage of trips taken throughout 

15 the United States each year using each of the fol16 lowing modes of transportation: 

17 ‘‘(A) Motor vehicle travel. 

18 ‘‘(B) Public transit, including ferries. 

19 ‘‘(C) Walking. 

20 ‘‘(D) Bicycling. 

21 ‘‘(E) Intercity rail and bus travel. 

22 ‘‘(2) The economic, public health, and environ23 mental benefits derived due to the percentage of 

24 trips taken annually using sustainable modes of 

25 transportation. 


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1 ‘‘(3) Benefits that may be achieved with an in2 crease in the percentage of trips taken annually 

3 using sustainable modes of transportation. 

4 ‘‘(4) An affordability index that illustrates the 

5 transportation and housing costs associated with liv6 ing in specific locations. 

7 ‘‘(5) Any other information relating to the sta8 tus and expansion of sustainable modes of transpor9 tation and livable communities that the Director de10 termines is necessary. 

11 ‘‘(g) EXECUTIVE BRANCH COORDINATION.—The Di12 rector shall work collaboratively with other executive 

13 branch agencies, including the Department of Housing 

14 and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection 

15 Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Depart16 ment of Health and Human Services, to exchange infor17 mation, carry out joint planning and research, and con18 duct other activities that promote the development of liv19 able communities, increase transportation choices, and im20 prove the environment, public health, and quality of life. 

21 ‘‘(h) COLLABORATION.— 

22 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall work 

23 collaboratively to ensure the expeditious and success24 ful implementation of projects and programs that 

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1 way Administration, Federal Transit Administration, 

2 Federal Railroad Administration, and all other oper3 ating administrations within the Department of 

4 Transportation. Projects and programs that pertain 

5 to livability include the following: 

6 ‘‘(A) The nonmotorized transportation 

7 pilot program under section 1807 of 

8 SAFETEA–LU (23 U.S.C. 217 note; 119 Stat. 

9 1460). 

10 ‘‘(B) Transportation enhancements under 

11 section 133. 

12 ‘‘(C) The recreational trails program under 

13 section 206. 

14 ‘‘(D) The national scenic byways program 

15 under section 162. 

16 ‘‘(E) Other programs of the Department of 

17 Transportation identified by the Secretary as 

18 contributing significantly to improved livability. 

19 ‘‘(2) EFFECT ON LOCATION OF PROGRAMS.— 

20 Programs specified under paragraph (1) shall re21 main in the modal location in effect before the date 

22 of enactment of this section. A program relating to 

23 livability established after the date of enactment of 

24 this section may be situated in any modal location 

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1 tion of the Secretary, unless otherwise mandated by 

2 Act of Congress. 

3 ‘‘(i) DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF BEST

4 PRACTICES.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall act as a 

6 leadership resource to develop and disseminate infor7 mation on best practices and provide technical as8 sistance or other training to States, regional and 

9 local governmental entities, and Indian tribes relat10 ing to, at a minimum, the following: 

11 ‘‘(A) Promotion of the integration of land 

12 use planning and transit-oriented development 

13 to support the creation of livable communities. 

14 ‘‘(B) Fostering multimodal transportation 

15 systems and effective multimodal connections. 

16 ‘‘(C) The expeditious delivery of non17 motorized transportation projects. 

18 ‘‘(D) Innovative design of nonmotorized 

19 transportation facilities. 

20 ‘‘(E) Adoption and implementation of com21 prehensive street design policies and principles 

22 and practical design standards. 

23 ‘‘(F) Reduction of greenhouse gas emis24 sions and other criteria pollutants. 


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1 ‘‘(G) Projects, programs, and activities 

2 that support the achievement of the national 

3 mode share targets developed under paragraph 

4 (2). 

5 ‘‘(2) MODE SHARE TARGETS.—The Director 

6 shall develop quantifiable national mode share tar7 gets for sustainable modes of transportation, develop 

8 a timeline for achievement of the targets, and sup9 port projects, programs, and activities within the 

10 Department of Transportation and throughout the 

11 United States in support of the targets. 

12 ‘‘(j) COMPREHENSIVE STREET DESIGN POLICIES

13 AND PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL DESIGN STANDARDS.— 

14 The Director shall encourage the adoption and implemen15 tation by States, regional and local governmental entities, 

16 and Indian tribes of comprehensive street design policies 

17 and principles and practical design standards through— 

18 ‘‘(1) the development and dissemination of in19 formation on best practices under subsection (i); 

20 ‘‘(2) the provision of technical assistance or 

21 other training under subsection (i); and 

22 ‘‘(3) the creation or compilation of model com23 prehensive street design policies and principles and 

24 practical design standards and the dissemination of 

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1 ropolitan planning organizations, and other appro2 priate governmental entities. 

3 ‘‘(k) LIVABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND PLAN4 NING.—The Director shall compile information and pro5 vide technical assistance, training, and information con6 cerning best practices to States and metropolitan planning 

7 organizations to assist such entities in achieving compli8 ance with livability and sustainability requirements and 

9 performance targets. 

10 ‘‘(l) FUNDING.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

12 appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other 

13 than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out this 

14 section $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 

15 through 2016. 

16 ‘‘(2) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—Funds made 

17 available to carry out this section shall be available 

18 for obligation and administered in the same manner 

19 as if the funds were apportioned under chapter 1.’’. 

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for such 

21 chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘330. Office of Livability.’’. 

Æ 


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