GREEN Streets Act
The GREEN Streets Act would overhaul federal transportation planning and funding to place climate and air-quality goals at the center of decisions. Key changes require transportation planners (in states, metropolitan areas, and transit agencies) to consider projects and strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience to climate impacts. The bill expands performance measures for public roads, imposes analyses of capacity-increasing projects (including environmental justice impacts), and ties a portion of federal funding to meeting GHG and related performance targets. It also strengthens transit accessibility metrics (e.g., access, stop distance, mode share, and first/last mile) and adds rulemaking and technical-assistance provisions to support implementation. In short, it aims to steer more funding toward low-emission, transit-supportive, and bike/pedestrian-friendly transportation options while requiring measurable progress on emissions reductions. If enacted, the bill would likely shift prioritization away from single-occupancy roadway expansion toward projects that reduce vehicle miles traveled, boost public transit, and improve accessibility for underserved communities. It would also create new reporting, data, and coordination requirements for state DOTs, regional planning organizations (MPOs), and transit agencies.
Key Points
- 1Public-road performance measures and net-zero goals: The bill adds climate and resilience targets to Section 150 performance measures, requiring minimum standards to decrease per capita VMT, reduce CO2 and other GHGs, improve road resilience, and track air pollutants and noise emissions. It also requires a EPA-aided framework for GHG reductions on public roads.
- 2Analysis of capacity-increasing road projects: MPOs and states must analyze and publish the effects of projects that increase traffic capacity or meet large federal funding thresholds. Analyses cover per-capita VMT, mobile-source GHGs, non-SOV trips (bike/ped/transit/rail), and environmental-justice metrics using federal EJ tools. New-capacity projects face additional scrutiny to prove cost-effectiveness and alignment with state performance targets.
- 3Investment requirements tied to performance: If a state fails to meet highway-related performance targets, a portion of federal funding must be obligated to projects aimed at achieving those targets (33% of certain 104(b)(1) funds and 10% of 104(b)(2) funds), with a 2% annual increase in obligations if targets remain unmet. Eligible projects include highways, transit expansions/improvements, active-transportation infrastructure, micromobility, and land-use developments that support reduced emissions or increased transit use.
- 4Expanded transit accessibility provisions: The bill expands 49 U.S.C. transit asset management to include transit accessibility standards, transit stop distance, transit mode share, and first/last mile accessibility. It creates a new “covered entity” definition (areas with at least 250,000 people) and requires the Secretary to establish national standards within one year, then require covered entities to set targets and report progress within 180 days of standards’ establishment. Technical assistance would be provided to help entities meet targets.
- 5Reports, coordination, and technical assistance: The act adds a structured process for subsequent reporting on performance progress and targets, with federal support for technical assistance to both covered entities and non-covered entities (including rural and Tribal communities) to help them work toward the standards, though non-covered entities would not have mandatory compliance.