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National Trust for Historic Preservation

With the possible exception of those shaping urban renewal, no government policies have had more devastating effects on historic communities than transportation policies. Preservationists thus had good reason to cheer the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) in 1991. This legislation brought long-overdue changes to national transportation policies, which for decades have considered transportation merely a synonym for highways. ISTEA advocates an openness to alternative modes of transportation by reducing the financial incentive for states to favor highway construction over all other transportation options. It also encourages planning that looks beyond irrelevant political boundaries and allows for greater citizen and local government participation in making transportation investments.

For preservationists, ISTEA offers another opportunity: the enhancements program. Recognizing that transportaation policies have caused enormous environmental damage and community disruption in the past, the law requires that a percentage of each state's ISTEA funds be set aside for transportation-related "enhancements" --- historic preservation projects, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, scenic byways, and beautification schemes --- which previously had received little attention from state transportation agencies. To date, this program has provided nearly $500 million for preservation activities. This means that ISTEA is the biggest source of funding --- in fact, it practically the only source of bricks-and-mortar money --- that the federal government currently provides for preservation projects.

And what marvelous projects they are: In Greeneville, TN, for instance, ISTEA helped to renovate four historic hotels as part of an effort to transform a downtown depot district into a lively enclave of shops, offices, and restaurants. In Minneapolis, the Stone Arch Bridge has been rehabilitated with ISTEA funds to provide a pedestrian, bicycle, and trolley link between downtown and the University of Minnesota campus. In Danville, VA, an 1899 train station rehabilitated with help from ISTEA will continue to house Amtrak facilities and provide a home for a new science museum.

ISTEA is a progressive piece of legislation --- but it's now under attack. The program is up for reauthorization this year, and various groups will try to revise or remove provisions they don't like. Some say the federal government should simply make block grants to the states and allow them to use the funds as they please. Others oppose the diversion of any transportation funds for non-highway projects; they still believe the only way to "solve" transportation problems is to build more and more roads, an approach that only leads to more and more chaos in much of America.

ISTEA is an important step forward toward a national transportation policy that knits communities together instead of tearing them apart. Reauthorizing ISTEA in its current form will be one of the National Trust's highest priorities in the months ahead. It promises to be a major fight, and we'll need your help.

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