The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) this week announced the availability of approximately $10 million in competitive grant funds through FTA's Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning.
FTA says the funds will support comprehensive planning efforts that help connect communities, improve access to public transportation and affordable housing, combat climate change, advance environmental justice, and promote equitable delivery of benefits to underserved communities.
FTA says the agency will prioritize projects that will help improve air quality in non-attainment and maintenance areas for certain criteria pollutants under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and promote equitable delivery of benefits and services to underserved communities.
"This announcement comes at an especially fitting time, coinciding with the celebration of Earth Day. Equitable transit-oriented development helps those at the local level respond to climate change and affordable housing challenges, particularly in underserved and overburdened communities," FTA Deputy Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in a statement. "The TOD planning program will encourage mixed-use, mixed income development around new transit projects to increase access to opportunities and improve mobility for residents."
The Pilot Program for TOD Planning funds comprehensive planning to increase transit access and to encourage ridership with mixed-use and mixed-income development near public transportation projects. Examples of eligible projects include comprehensive planning studies around station areas for new fixed guideway projects, such as light-rail, heavy rail, commuter rail, or bus rapid transit systems that have a designated right-of-way.
In order to apply for program funding, an applicant must be an existing FTA recipient—either a project sponsor of an eligible transit project or an entity with land use planning authority in the project corridor. To ensure that work meets the needs of the local community, transit project sponsors and land use planning authorities must partner to conduct the planning work.
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SOURCE: Federal Transit Administration
