The Modal Parity in Permitting Act aims to reduce a “structural disadvantage in the permitting process” and level the playing field between transit, rail and highway projects.
Last week, Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev, introduced a new bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at aligning the permitting process for transit and passenger rail projects more closely with procedures already in place for highway construction. As reported by Constructionowners.com, the Modal Parity in Permitting Act “would allow transit and rail projects to acquire property before completing the National Environmental Policy Act review process — a step currently permitted for highway projects but not for transit initiatives.”
“The bill… is expected to be considered as part of the next surface transportation legislation package, which will outline federal funding and policy priorities for highways and mass transit systems,” Constructionowners.com reports. It aims to reduce the relative disadvantage current rules place transit and rail projects at in comparison to highway projects. The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Robert Bresnahan Jr., R-Pa., and Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Calif, and has garnered backing by advocacy organizations including the American Public Transportation Association, The Bus Coalition and others.
“For too long, public transit and passenger rail projects have faced a structural disadvantage in the permitting process — highway projects can acquire land before NEPA is complete, while [Federal Transit Administration] and [Federal Railroad Administration] projects cannot,” said APTA president and CEO Paul Skoutelas.
Read the full story below.
FULL STORY: House Bill Seeks to Streamline Transit and Rail Permitting Process
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