The Federal Transit Administration is still holding much of the funding promised by Congress since 2017. It's unlikely that anyone likely to vote for Trump again in 2020 is losing any sleep over money not spent on public transit infrastructure.
"Congress has allocated about $4 billion for new transit projects since 2017. But the federal Department of Transportation has handed out just 30 percent of the available funds. About $2.7 billion remains to be distributed to more than two dozen cities that are expecting grants," according to Schmitt.
This isn't the first time transit advocates, led by Transportation for America, have raised alarms about the federal government's reluctance to disburse promised transit funds. Transportation for America launched a countdown clock in August 2018 to track missing transit funds, and some promised funding began to make its way to local and state agencies late in the year—significantly later than the tardy bell.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is "failing to administer the grant program in good faith and in a timely fashion," according to a statement by Transportation for America reported by Schmitt.
Still unresolved, according to Schmitt: whether the delays are driven by ideology or dysfunction.
FULL STORY: Trump Administration Continues Funny Business with Transit Funding
$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.
Sound Transit's Lynwood Link Gets the Federal Funding it Was Waiting For
A great sigh of relief from transit planners in the Pacific Northwest (and probably the rest of the country as well).
Congress Calls Out the Trump Administration for Transit Funding Delays
The chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure used the word "unlawful," when describing the tardy delivery of allocated capital investment funding by the Federal Transit Administration under the Trump administration.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
