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 revitalization.

March 18, 2003

Mr. BLUMENAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

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 revitalization.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 REVITALIZATION PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 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 opportunities adjacent to the streetcar line for which assistance is being sought.

(4) The project requires the financial participation of the private owners of real property abutting the streetcar line (excluding owner-occupied residential 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 policies complementary to the project have been adopted for land in close proximity to the streetcar line, including 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 assistance 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 assistance 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 streetcar line.

(d) TYPES OF PROJECTS- A project for which grant assistance may be provided under this Act may include streetscaping, signalization modifications, and other modifications 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 engineering.

(e) MAXIMUM FUNDING LIMITATION- The maximum amount of Federal grant assistance which the Secretary 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 available to carry out this Act shall remain available until expended.

(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.

END