Art in Public Transportation Projects
Adopted at the 86th Annual Meeting in 2018
WHEREAS, for decades, communities across the nation have created innovative projects through art, which proved to be a vital component in public transportation, encouraging use, revitalizing neighborhoods, mitigating crime, and driving tourism; and
WHEREAS, allowing the integration of artwork as part of public transportation projects brought significant benefits, such as shared foundations, shared materials, and shared engineering "? all of which decreased overall project cost; and
WHEREAS, transit agencies and communities alike have benefited from the integration of art into public transportation projects in numerous other ways, including improved safety and security, increased ridership, and boosted economic activity through tourism and community pride; and
WHEREAS, since December 2015, with enactment of the FAST Act, federal law now prohibits loans or grants from the Federal Transit Administration, including matching local funds, to fund project costs associated with art, severely limiting the ability to incorporate art into public transportation projects; and
WHEREAS, the restriction impacts all grants or loans entered into with the Federal Transit Administration from that date forward
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors affirms its support of incorporating art into our public transportation projects and facilities, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the federal government to enact the Saving Transit Art Resources (STAR) Act to reinstate flexibility to local government and transit agencies and allow local and regional transit agencies to incorporate art into federally-funded transit projects and facilities.