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 Con-
necticut, 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fast Starts Act of 
2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Communities around the United States have 
expended time and resources to utilize the Small 
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Starts program under section 5309(e) of title 49, 
United States Code, for streetcar projects. 
(2) A delay in authorizing grants under the 
Small Starts program has created a backlog of 
streetcar projects requiring attention outside of that 
program. 
(3) Streetcar projects create jobs during both 
their construction and operation throughout the cor-
ridor in which the projects are developed. 
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR CERTAIN STREETCAR PROJECTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 
is authorized to make grants to States and local govern-
mental authorities to assist the financing of streetcar 
projects in accordance with this section. 
(b) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—To be eligible for a grant 
under subsection (a), the State or local governmental au-
thority applying for a grant shall submit to the Secretary, 
not later than March 1, 2010, an application certifying 
that the streetcar project to be assisted by such grant— 
(1) is supported by an acceptable degree of 
local financial commitment; 
(2) has met the environmental requirements 
necessary to begin construction; and 
(3) is a project with respect to which construc-
tion can begin not later than March 1, 2012. 
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(c) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make a 
grant under subsection (a) with respect to a street-
car project only if the Secretary finds that the 
project is— 
(A) based on the results of planning and 
alternatives analysis; 
(B) justified based on a review of its effect 
on local economic development, land use, travel 
patterns, and greenhouse gas reduction poten-
tial; and 
(C) supported by an acceptable degree of 
local financial commitment. 
(2) PLANNING AND ALTERNATIVES.—In evalu-
ating a project under paragraph (1)(A), the Sec-
retary shall analyze and consider the results of plan-
ning and alternatives analysis for the project. For 
purposes of this paragraph, the Secretary shall com-
pare the project to a no build analysis to consider 
project outcomes. 
(3) PROJECT JUSTIFICATION.—For purposes of 
making the finding under paragraph (1)(B), the 
Secretary shall determine— 
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