Just announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood: $280 million in grant funding will be available for streetcar systems in 2010. Rest assured, LASI and our partners are going to aggressively pursue this funding!

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the availability of $280 million for urban circulator projects such as streetcars, buses, and bus facilities to support communities, expand business opportunities and improve people’s quality of life while also creating jobs. [...]

A maximum amount of $25 million per project will be made available from approximately $130 million in unallocated discretionary New Starts/Small Starts Program funds.  Eligible projects include streetcars and other urban circulator systems. Priority will be given to projects that connect destinations and foster the redevelopment of communities into walkable, mixed use, high-density environments.

A second pot of money totaling $150 million in unallocated discretionary Bus and Bus Facility funds will be available for projects that will foster the preservation and enhancement of urban and rural communities by providing new mobility options which provide access to jobs, healthcare, and education, and/or contribute to the redevelopment of neighborhoods into pedestrian-friendly vibrant environments.

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If you have time on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 from 5:30-7:30pm, make sure to drop by The Exchange (114 W. 5th Street) for Bringing Back Broadway’s final public meeting regarding the new Broadway Streetscape Master Plan. For more information, click here.

From Bringing Back Broadway:

Join us as we share the Final Designs for the Broadway Streetscape Master Plan. We need you to review and provide input on the final concepts for the design of Broadway’s public right of way areas, including elements on the sidewalks and in the street itself which enhance the environment and historic character of the corridor, and better serve pedestrians and transit riders, including:

• Street Configuration and Station Design
• Planting, Materials and Furnishings
• Wayfinding Signage
• Identity Elements

We want to take a moment and thank all the consultants who responded to our Request for Qualifications! We received a ton of interest and a number of really strong responses, and we anticipate completing the RFQ/P process by the end of November.

In addition, LASI is very happy to report Los Angeles City Councilmember and Metro Board Member José Huizar was able to position Los Angeles Streetcar as a Tier II Unfunded Project within Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).The LRTP is a comprehensive transportation document that will guide transit projects throughout LA County for the next 30 years. Securing an unfunded designation is critical for LASI, as it has positioned the streetcar to be highly competitive when applying for State and Federal funding.

LASI has been working hard on streetcar tasks, and we’re happy to announce the release of two Requests for Qualifications (RFQs). LASI is seeking qualified consultants that can, 1) develop a Public Relations/Media Campaign, and 2) analyze a Special Benefit District for a Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar. The deadline to submit qualifications is October 23, 2009. For a copy of the RFQs, click here.

If you’re considering responding to the RFQ, make sure to register with LASI! If any critical questions are raised before the deadline, we will use both our website and the registration list to notify interested consultants.

A Press Release can be found here!

LASI is happy to announce a partnership with Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic (FAST). After meeting with Hilary Norton, FAST’s Executive Director, both organizations recognized that they share common transportation interests. FAST advocates for near-term solutions (three to five years) that can have very significant impacts on reducing LA’s traffic. FAST is actively building a coalition of community groups and individuals to ensure that funding and implementing fast-term transit solutions are a high priority in Los Angeles County.

Partnering with FAST will enhance LASI’s efforts to deliver a Downtown LA streetcar system by 2014. As LASI’s community outreach and stakeholder meetings have demonstrated, a streetcar system is critically important to improving transportation circulation in Downtown LA. Operating a streetcar within Downtown will provide the “last mile” solution needed to integrate the area’s current and future rail, bus, and parking facilities together into an innovative, efficient, and modern circulation system. This level of connectivity will enable people to visit entertainment, cultural, and civic destinations – such as the Disney Concert Hall, LA Live/Staples, or the Civic Center – while being able to shop, dine, or have fun in Downtown’s burgeoning arts, entertainment, and business districts.

LASI looks forward to working with FAST on upcoming transportation issues, and we invite you to learn more about their current projects by visiting their website: http://www.fastla.org/