[EQAB-list] SUSTAINABILITY in Transportation Planning

[Fred L Stephens]

SUSTAINABILITY

New Thinking in Transportation Planning
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is 
signaling a big change in thinking about 
transportation planning and funding with some recent posts to his blog.

In a 
<http://www.knoxtrans.org/sustainability/http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/03/livable-communities-the-hometowns-americans-deserve.html>post 
on March 18 he writes:

The way we design our communities has a huge 
impact on our citizens’ social, physical, and 
economic wellbeing. Yet many Americans live in 
neighborhoods without sidewalks or access to public transportation.

Therefore, one of my highest priorities is to 
work closely with Congress, other Federal 
departments, the nation’s governors, and local 
officials to help promote more livable 
communities through sustainable surface 
transportation programs. By focusing on 
livability, we can help transform the way 
transportation serves the American people­and 
create safer, healthier communities that provide 
access to economic opportunities.

In a 
<http://www.knoxtrans.org/sustainability/http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/03/cities-have-good-reason-for-optimism.html>March 
17 post, Secretary LaHood wrote:

As I told the National Bike Summit last week, we 
are absolutely committed to more livable, 
sustainable communities by reducing congestion, 
by building housing near transit, by supporting all modes of transportation.

. . .

The era of one-size-fits-all transportation 
projects must give way to one where preserving 
and enhancing the qualities that make each 
community special, whether it’s rural or urban, 
is a primary goal rather than an afterthought.

This acknowledgement from federal transportation 
officials that decisions about how we spend 
transportation funding makes a big difference in 
the livability of our communities is very welcome.