MARTA train in Atlanta, Georgia, where officials are studying the link between transit and job growth.

How could federal job creation programs be greener? Making access to public transit a priority would be one way.

A report called "Uncle Sam’s Rusty Toolkit," released today by Good
Jobs First, details the group’s finding that federal job-creation
programs fail in several key ways to meet "best practices" standards
already used by states and cities — including locating work sites in
places accessible to public transit.

The group’s press release stated, in part:

"The federal government can promote better jobs, protect taxpayers, and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by simply taking some lessons from
states and cities," said Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs
First. "These well-established safeguards are consistent with
President-elect Obama’s stated goal of reforming programs to make them
more transparent and cost-effective."

The study deals with five federal programs: the Department of Housing
and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program; the
Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Act; the Department of
Commerce’s Public Works and Economic Development Program; Industrial
Revenue Bonds as allowed under the Internal Revenue Code; and the
Department of Agriculture’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans
Program.

The report, which could hardly be more relevant than it is today, may be downloaded here.

Photo: Michael Hinton/Flickr