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On Sept. 17, the Senate approved the fiscal-year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 3288) by a 73-25 vote.

The bill would provide total funding resources of $122 billion, 1 percent below the Obama Administration’s budget request. H.R. 3288 would appropriate $1.1 billion in transportation grants for freight and passenger railroad, port, highway, bridge and public transit projects.

In addition, the bill would provide:
• $1.2 billion for intercity and high-speed rail projects — well below the $4 billion proposed in the House’s version of H.R. 3288;
• an additional $480 million above the Administration’s request for New Starts transit projects;
• $150 million for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority safety improvements;
• $100 million for transit agencies’ projects aimed at reducing energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and
• $50 million for rail safety projects, including the installation of positive train control systems.

The House — which passed its version of the bill earlier — and Senate now will work together to reconcile differences and craft a joint budget proposal to send to the president.