First Year Awards
Interest in the TCSP program during its first year far exceeded expectations. Agencies in 49 States and the District of Columbia requested nearly $400 million of funding, more than 30 times the TCSP funds available for 1999. These requests were received from State departments of transportation, State environmental and economic agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, regional governments, city and county governments, tribal governments, transit authorities, port authorities, air quality boards, and State universities. Areas represented ranged from major metropolitan regions to rural towns of less than 1,000 people. A TCSP Grant Workshop held in Denver, Colorado, on May 11-12, 1999 attracted 175 people representing the full range of TCSP participant organizations. An important objective of the workshop was to allow these individuals to exchange information on the types of projects and planning approaches being undertaken, and to learn from each other’s experience.
From the more than 520 initial requests, 35 projects representing 27 States and the District of Columbia were selected to receive the $13.1 million in funds available for FY 1999. Examples of preservation strategies being developed by TCSP grantees in the first year of the program include transportation initiatives that:
- Integrate land-use and transportation planning.
- Balance economic growth, environment and community values.
- Create a long-range vision for a community or region.
- Reuse existing infrastructure.
- Develop urban, suburban, and rural strategies for communities.
- Establish non-traditional partnerships to meet TCSP goals.
Both the magnitude of interest in the program and the diversity of proposals received demonstrate that the establishment of the TCSP program is accomplishing its defined objectives.
