I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1315
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot grant program 
to provide assistance for the capital and startup costs of streetcar devel-
opment and revitalization. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2003
Mr. BLUMENAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 
pilot grant program to provide assistance for the capital 
and startup costs of streetcar development and revitaliza-
tion.
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 ‘‘Community Streetcar 
Development and Revitalization Act’’.
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY STREETCAR DEVELOPMENT AND REVI-
TALIZATION PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation shall establish and begin implementation of a 5-
year pilot grant program to provide assistance to States 
and local governmental authorities for the capital and 
startup costs of development and expansion of streetcar 
transportation. 
(b) PROJECT SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select 
projects to be carried out under the pilot program solely 
based on the following considerations: 
(1) The project is ready for construction. 
(2) The project application demonstrates strong 
local and private sector financial participation in the 
project. 
(3) The project will foster redevelopment oppor-
tunities adjacent to the streetcar line for which as-
sistance is being sought. 
(4) The project requires the financial participa-
tion of the private owners of real property abutting 
the streetcar line (excluding owner-occupied residen-
tial properties) for some of the capital costs of the 
project. 
(5) The project application demonstrates that 
development or redevelopment agreements are in
place with respect to the project and land use poli-
cies complementary to the project have been adopted 
for land in close proximity to the streetcar line, in-
cluding property zoned to accommodate mixed-use 
development is available adjacent to the streetcar 
line. 
(6) The project application demonstrates either 
how redeveloping or new neighborhoods on vacant or 
underutilized land will be connected by the project to 
each other or to major attractors in the central city 
where the project will be carried out or how 
circulator or connector lines under the project will 
connect developed neighborhoods with one another 
or with the business district in the central city. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.—In order to receive grant assist-
ance under this Act, a sponsor of a project must submit 
to the Secretary an application that includes a detailed 
operating plan for the streetcar line for which such assist-
ance is being sought, including frequency of service, hours 
of operation, and stop locations, and a demonstration of 
the financial capacity of the sponsor to operate the street-
car line. 
(d) TYPES OF PROJECTS.—A project for which grant 
assistance may be provided under this Act may include 
streetscaping, signalization modifications, and other modi-
fications to the road system or other public rights-of-way 
on which the project is to be carried out and acquisition 
of streetcars and project construction, design, and engi-
neering. 
(e) MAXIMUM FUNDING LIMITATION.—The max-
imum amount of Federal grant assistance which the Sec-
retary may provide with respect to any project under this 
Act in any fiscal year is $15,000,000. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY; STATE.—
The terms ‘‘local government authority’’ and 
‘‘State’’ have the meaning such terms have under 
section 5302 of title 49, United States Code. 
(2) STREETCAR.—The term ‘‘streetcar’’ means 
a rail transit vehicle, including modern, antique, or 
reproduction vehicle, that is designed to fit the scale 
and traffic patterns of neighborhoods through which 
it travels, is powered by electricity, and operates at 
lower-speeds generally in existing rights-of-way 
through mixed traffic, with frequent stops. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be available from the 
Highway Trust Fund to carry out this Act $75,000,000 
for fiscal year 2004, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2005,
and $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 
2008. 
(b) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—Funds made avail-
able to carry out this Act shall remain available until ex-
pended. 
(c) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—A grant approved by 
the Secretary under this Act is a contractual obligation 
of the United States Government to pay the Government’s 
share of the cost of the project and may provide authority 
for the Secretary to enter into multi-year agreements with 
respect to the project.
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