April 30, 2012

Government Technology magazine in its April edition features Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield on its cover, touting his city’s success in deploying high-speed broadband infrastructure.

The article, "Chattanooga Claims America’s Fastest Broadband Service," reports that the city now calls itself "The Gig City," with a fiber-to-the-home network offering up to one gigabit per second services over a 600-square mile area of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

"Since moving to Chattanooga in the ’60s, he [Littlefield] has been witness to the city’s gradual transformation," Matt Williams writes. "And now, Littlefield is watching over another metamorphosis — this one centered on amazingly fast broadband connectivity."

Aided by the city’s ownership of a public electric utility, called the Electric Power Board (EPB), the project to deliver very high-speed broadband was initially driven by EPB’s desire to ensure greater reliability of its grid. Plans for building out the network were accelerated with the infusion of $111 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.

In addition to up to one-gig service to homes and businesses, the network has enhanced public safety and communications and provided for a more secure grid, real-time traffic light controls, and remote management of LED streetlights, building lighting and energy use, among other benefits.

While the article notes that other cities may lay claim to offering the fastest broadband service, what is not in dispute is the scale of the city’s build-out and its success in delivering new and improved services to its citizens.

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild joined with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and other leaders April 12 at the University of Arizona to break ground on the construction of a new streetcar system serving the city.

"Change is never easy, but we need to stay with the time and stay current," Rothschild said. "That is really the significance for us."

"This is not only about a streetcar system," LaHood said. "This is about the jobs that will be provided that would not have been provided if it hadn’t been for the vision of so many in this community."

Called Sun Link, the $196 million project is the first phase of a planned streetcar network, which is included in the region’s larger $2.1 billion transportation plan directed by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA).

Of the total $196 million in project costs, the RTA is providing $88 million, with private funding of $18 million; the remaining costs are from federal fund sources, including a $63 million TIGER grant supported by ARRA funding.

Sun Link service should commence September 2013. Tucson’s project along with Portland’s streetcar expansion helped launch United Streetcar in Portland, OR, the first manufacturer of streetcars in the United States since General Motors stopped production in 1962.

In addition to Rothschild and LaHood, Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ), Rep. Ed Pastor (AZ), and University of Arizona President Eugene Sander participated in the ceremony. In his remarks, LaHood also called on the community to include former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ name in the project in recognition of her leadership to bring streetcar service to the region.

USCM Transportation and Communications Committee Chair Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed represents the nation-s mayors at POLITICO-s Pro Transportation launch April 18 where he addressed numerous transportation issues, including calling on Congress to direct more resources to cities and regions to produce greater economic returns for the nation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood led federal policy-makers taking part in the forum.