The new federal Transportation and Community and System

The new federal Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot program (TCSP) offers cities funds to explore the links between transportation and land use. TCSP is developed by the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, and is funded with $120 million through 2003. The program helps communities plan and implement strategies that improve traffic efficiency, reduce the need for infrastructure investments, and examine development patterns that support those goals. The Research Triangle region in the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina is among the first communities to receive a TCSP grant. The Triangle J Council of Governments will use the $450,000 to develop strategies to change the 6-county area’s conventional suburban expansion model to one that promotes compact urban forms with walkable neighborhoods and transit orientation.