New Transportation TCSP Program- Letters of Intent Due - 11/16/98

[JAMES MAAS <MAAS.JAMES@epamail.epa.gov>]

The Transportation and Community and System Preservation
Pilot program (TCSP) was established as part of the
Transportation and Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21), signed by President Clinton on June 9, 1998.
TCSP provides funding for planning and implementing
strategies that:1) reduce the environmental effects of
transportation; 2) improve the efficiency of current
transportation systems; 3) provide efficient access to
jobs and centers of trade; 4) reduce the future number
of costly public infrastructure investments; and
5) identify private sector development strategies that
will achieve these goals.  TCSP grants can be used to
examine transportation strategies that relate to
brownfields redevelopment, such as planning access to
redeveloped brownfields sites, upgrading existing urban
transportation systems, and connecting local community
members to new brownfields-related jobs.

State agencies, units of local governments, and
metropolitan planning organizations are eligible to
receive TCSP funds, as well as air resources boards,
public transit agencies, park districts, and school
boards.  TCSP will be funded at $20 million for FY 1999
and for $25 million annually from FY 2000 through FY 2003.
The number and size of TCSP grants will depend on the
number of proposals received.  The grant is administered
through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

DOT is requesting that interested parties submit Letters
of Intent (LOI), of no more than four pages, to the FHWA
Division Offices located in the state of the applicant.
LOI are due by November 16, 1998.  LOI will be evaluated,
and selected applicants will be contacted in order to
prepare the grant application.  More information,
including a sample Letter of Intent, may be found at
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21/fedreg3.htm.
Questions may be directed to the state FHWA Division
Offices, or by calling Fred Abousleman in FHWA's Office
of Environment and Planning at (202) 366-5015.