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Yesterday, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it’s seeking public comments on a proposed rulemaking that would change the way the agency evaluates and rates major transit projects seeking federal funding.

The public feedback will help the FTA determine the best way to evaluate transit infrastructure projects according to cost-effectiveness and broad public benefits, such as economic development, land use and environmental impacts.

The proposed rule is part of the agency’s ongoing effort to alter its process for selecting projects to receive federal funding through the New Starts and Small Starts programs. In January, the FTA rescinded budget restrictions issued by the Bush Administration in 2005 that primarily focused on how a project shortened average commute times in comparison to cost.

The agency's current goal: Consider funding transit projects that promise benefits that could "make communities more livable, such as underserved areas or those with the densest population and employment,” FTA officials said in a prepared statement.