REMARKS PREPARED
FOR DELIVERY
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION RODNEY E. SLATER
NATIONAL TOWN HALL MEETING
FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMERICA
MAY 3, 1999
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Vice President Gore’s Livability Initiative is a bold new effort to engage the American people. And with the number of people in attendance today – clearly this effort is working.
This initiative is about the future of our cities, suburbs and rural areas. It is about how these places will become and remain prosperous and healthy. It is about helping our people improve their quality of life. It is about "Healthy Communities, Healthy Economies".
We just heard Administrator Browner talk about "Better America Bonds." This innovative plan will leverage nearly $10 billion in investments for our communities over the next five years. Through this effort alone, the Clinton-Gore Administration is making a huge down payment on America‘s future.
Clearly, congestion and sprawl are major concerns for the American public. Last November more than 200 local communities approved smart growth initiatives. Communities all across the country are beginning to take a hard look at how they grow and serve their people.
Let me say, the Department of Transportation is committed to the Vice President’s livability agenda.
This morning I announced the winners of our Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP) grants. More than 500 applications -- all of outstanding merit -- competed for the $13 million available to improve and enhance local communities all across America. This program will help states and communities develop strategies to make their transportation systems work more efficiently, reduce congestion and minimize the impact on the environment.
The 35 grant winners – indeed, all of the applicants – are national leaders in developing innovative strategies for sustainable development and livable communities.
The need to create sustainable communities is getting much attention. Through TCSP, the transportation community is stepping forward to help build livable communities for the future.
And in support of livable communities, today I am announcing five DOT commitments -- "building blocks for the future."
Our Transportation Livability Initiative will assist communities in using existing DOT programs more effectively -- to link safety, growth strategies, environmental quality and economic development in an integrated approach to community livability.
Aircraft Noise Reduction is a key component of our commitment to reduce transportation-related pollutants. And the industry has done an excellent job. By the end of this year, the commercial jet fleet serving the U.S. will comply with the latest reduced noise standards (Stage 3).
This transition to quieter aircraft is dramatically reducing the number of Americans exposed to adverse levels of aircraft noise. DOT is now committed to aggressively pursuing the development of even more stringent noise standards (Stage 4) to ensure that people living near airports can enjoy peaceful and quiet neighborhoods.
Transportation accounts for over 25 percent of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions. The new Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting will allow us to develop win-win solutions for our transportation partners that will help to reduce greenhouse gases.
Data for Decisions on Livability will ensure that communities have ready access to high quality, timely information to better understand the costs, benefits, consequences, and alternatives to transportation proposals affecting them.
Under the River Navigator Program, last month we announced sponsorship of a River Navigator for the Detroit River. We have also committed to sponsor River Navigators for the Lower Mississippi segments at Memphis and New Orleans.
River Navigators will partner and work with cities to restore and protect these magnificent waterways. Working closely with the communities and local governments, they will identify federal and non-federal funding sources for revitalization projects and provide a link to federal agencies involved in President Clinton’s American Heritage Rivers Initiative.
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) is the tool that allows us to bring these commitments to the American public.
TEA-21 is a record $200 billion investment to improve America’s roads, bridges, transit systems, and railroads; lower the toll in lives lost and health care costs from transportation crashes; enhance our environment; and create opportunities for all Americans. It is truly the centerpiece for creating America’s 21st Century transportation system.
It provides unprecedented flexibility for state and local officials to use Federal funds for a wide variety of projects that best meet their needs.
In addition to the major program funding for transit and highways, TEA-21 strengthens the state and local planning processes that have been so effective in providing a framework for informed decision making.
It continues a number of special programs including the successful Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program and the Transportation Enhancements set-aside to help improve and enhance communities. And it reinforces our commitment to building National Scenic Byways, bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways and recreational trails.
All of these programs support the Clinton-Gore Administration’s Livability Initiative by giving state and local officials the funding, the flexibility and the tools to provide effective and more environmentally friendly transportation.
Transportation is about so much more than concrete, asphalt and steel. It is about people and their pursuit of happiness and opportunity. It is about getting people to work, to school, to recreation, to an enhanced quality of life.
Working together, being ever visionary and vigilant, we can design meaningful and workable transportation strategies that create healthy communities and healthy economies for every American to enjoy greater prosperity and a better quality of life. Thanks to the Clinton-Gore leadership, I know America’s best days are yet to come.
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