San Diego, San Francisco on anti-congestion competition shortlist

San Diego, San Francisco on anti-congestion competition shortlist San Diego and San Francisco made the nine-city shortlist for a U.S. Department of Transportation program that will provide $1.1 billion aimed at reducing transportation congestion problems.
   The other semifinalists for the department’s Urban Partnership program are Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, New York City and Seattle. Winners will be announced by mid-August, the DOT said Friday.
   The DOT program looks at all elements of local transportation systems’ impact on the economy, from trucks hung up in traffic to seaport cargo flows to airport congestions. The DOT created the program to address the billions of dollars in negative economic impacts created by transportation congestion problems.
   Together, the nine cities represent one-third of all highway congestion recorded among the nation’s 85 largest cities, and handle about 20 percent of all vehicle travel in the United States, according to the DOT, which encouraged area governments to create regional solutions.
   The applications are similar in that they all propose to levy tolls that vary based on traffic volumes, and all of them would beef up transit options for residents, Secretary Mary Peters said. Her department will also provide winning proposals with technical advice and an expedited review process.