FTA: TOD Planning Grant Applications Welcome
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing approximately $13 million in FY 2022 grant funding through its Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning. Applications will be accepted through July 25, 2022.
The Pilot Program for TOD Planning “provides funding to communities to integrate land use and transportation planning in new fixed guideway and core capacity transit project corridors,” FTA reported on May 26. “As required by statute, any comprehensive or site-specific planning funded through the pilot program must examine ways to improve economic development and ridership potential, foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility, improve transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, engage the private sector, identify infrastructure needs, and enable mixed-use development near transit stations.”
Special consideration will be given to applications that “improve air quality, advance environmental justice and promote housing affordability,” according to the agency.
Applicants must be FTA grantees as of May 26.
To ensure that planning work “reflects the needs and aspirations of the local community and results in concrete, specific deliverables and outcomes,” FTA requires that transit project sponsors partner with entities with land use planning authority in the project corridor. Only one application per transit capital project corridor may be submitted.
“The program encourages communities to think innovatively about the intersection between land use and mobility,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “It also challenges communities to think about road safety, equity, climate change and affordable housing as intertwined with transit investments.”
FTA’s Pilot Program for TOD Planning was created as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) in 2014 to support communities’ efforts to promote TOD. It was carried over to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, and funding was increased as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) to $68.9 million over five years—38% more than under the previous authorization, according to FTA.
FTA will host a webinar for the FY22 funding opportunity on June 9.
Download the May 26 Notice of Funding Opportunity below:
