Administration officials said they were reversing guidelines put in place by the Bush administration that called for evaluating new transit projects largely by how much they cost and how much travel time they would save. . . .
Mr. LaHood said the administration would establish new guidelines that take what he called “livability” into account — evaluating projects not only by how much they shorten commutes but also by their environmental, community and economic benefits.
Realizing, as its predecessors apparently did not, that alternative transportation is not simply about saving time and money, the Obama administration is altering the criteria by which transit projects will be scrutinized for federal funding. Rather than a cost effectiveness model, the new guidelines hone in on environmental impacts as well as community benefits and economic development associated with the transit lines. As posted on the Secretary of Transportation's blog, the DOT is moving away from the "narrow" performance criteria and moving to a set of six broader performance requirements that reflect "key livability factors" - "economic development, mobility improvement, environmental benefits, operating efficiencies, cost effectiveness and land use." While cost certainly remains a consideration, it, rightly so, is not the only factor by which projects are judged.
I will admit that this new system could make individual projects more difficult to judge and could further open fund awards to back-room negotiations and political favors. The key will be how clearly and thoughtfully the DOT can define some basis of metrics for evaluating the performance criteria that could become more ethereal than concrete. But in any case, this is a step in the right direction, I believe. In a land of freedom, liberty, and opportunity, one area where many citizens have no choice is transportation. Hopefully this policy shift will become and remain an effective tool for providing that choice to more of America's people.
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