Congress has continued to fund transit projects despite the Trump Administration's stated desire to end federal funding for federal transit. Now it appears the Trump Administration is killing transit with bureaucracy.
"The Trump administration has slowed the release of federal transit grants to such a crawl that expansion projects in the works for years are now in jeopardy," writes Angie Schmitt.
According to Schmitt, "the Federal Transit Administration is dragging out the disbursement of expansion grants and threatening to stop releasing capital funds to transit agencies altogether."
Schmitt's analysis focuses on the Capital Investment Grant program, which includes New Starts, Small Starts, and Core Capacity. "Fiscal Year 2018 ends on September 30. But so far, the FTA has only released $1.3 billion of the $2.6 billion that was appropriated," reports Schmitt. "Transit agencies now perceive a risk that the funds will be left unspent by the FTA and never reach them."
The article includes specifics on some of the projects that have been funded, along with the much longer list of projects that could be at risk of losing funding.
FULL STORY: Slowly and Stealthily, Trump’s DOT Starves Transit Expansion Projects of Federal Funds
$544 Million in Transit Capital Investment Funding Announced
The latest round of funding for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant funding program was announced this week.
Sacramento Streetcar Faces Uncertain Future Due to Trump Budget
The president's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget cuts the critical Capital investment Grants program run by the Federal Transit Administration. Projects lacking a full-funding grant agreement, like the Sacramento Streetcar, may fall victim.
Omnibus Spending Bill Will Save Transit Grant Programs—for Five Months*
Congress passed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government operating through September that also restores funding to transportation programs that the president had eliminated or greatly reduced. Trump signed the bill Friday.
Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.
Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?
Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.
Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads
If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.
Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years
The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.
NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums
Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.
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