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Workshop Summary
On September 14-15, 2000, the Federal Highway Administration and its partners within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), including the Federal Rail Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Research and Special Projects Administration's Volpe Center, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held the second Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot (TCSP) Program Workshop in Washington, D.C.
The workshop brought together more than 230 participants from across the country who are implementing TCSP projects or developing potential TCSP projects. Participants shared a common interest in the goals of the TCSP program - notably, to link transportation planning with a broad range of related issues including community livability, the environment, land use, system preservation, and economic development. The workshop allowed people from all types of communities to share information, ideas, and experiences. Some of the highlights of the workshop included:
Mortimer Downey, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, spoke about the importance of the TCSP program to the Administration's Livability Initiative. TCSP represents a very small portion of transportation spending, yet it is creating an impact far beyond its size by changing the way in which transportation planning takes place. Representatives of professional organizations in transportation planning - including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and the American Public Transportation Association - spoke as partners in TCSP program implementation. Each of these organizations is undertaking activities that support the goals of the TCSP program. Representatives from 25 FY 1999 and FY 2000 TCSP grantees shared information about their projects, including innovative activities planned or underway and experiences to date. Speakers from local and national organizations discussed effective techniques for creating partnerships among organizations and involving the public in developing more community-sensitive plans. Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon challenged the federal government to be a leader in developing and implementing policy that is sensitive to communities; for example, in the redevelopment of military bases. Representatives of other federal agencies and organizations provided information on funding opportunities and decision support tools that may be of value to TCSP grantees in developing and implementing projects. DOT staff discussed resources that are available to grantees to assist in evaluating the success of their projects.
It is clear from the success of the workshop that the TCSP program is funding or leveraging many exciting activities throughout the country. Read on to learn more about how cities, counties, states, MPOs, and others are working together to conduct more community-friendly planning! |
