The Capital Investment Grants program should focus on improving service on heavily-used lines, expanding access to jobs and amenities, and increasing multimodal accessibility.
In response to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)'s request for feedback on its Capital Investment Grant (CIG) criteria, TransitCenter outlines its recommendations. These include:
- "Improve speed, reliability, accessibility, frequency, and/or span for heavily-used transit corridors."
- "Significantly expand" access to jobs and other important destinations, particularly for underserved communities.
- Make upgrades that help connect travelers, creating "network effects."
- Improve accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users.
Pointing to the mixed record of transit investment in the United States, TransitCenter states "[r]eviewing recent patterns of capital investment, there are too few transit projects that meet a significant demand for travel, expand access, yield network benefits, or serve walkable areas." Too many recent projects, the statement says, "do not generate the broad economic benefits or travel time savings that accrue when capital projects are grounded in the fundamental objective of improving travel by transit for large numbers of people."
However, many projects, such as the expansion of light rail in the Seattle region, Chicago's Red and Purple Line modernization, and Richmond's Pulse BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), would, if built, advance equity and help reduce carbon emissions. "In general, FTA should adjust the CIG criteria to funnel more resources to projects like these upgrades, and less to projects like mixed-traffic streetcars or suburban rail expansions."
You can read TransitCenter's full response to the FTA here.
FULL STORY: The Transit Upgrades America Needs to Build Back Better
$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.
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.
Feds Release Capital Investment Grants for Three Rail Transit Projects
Three major public transit projects in the western United States received a major infusion of funding from the federal government this week.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
Planetizen's annual list of the top urban planning books of the year is here—maintaining a tradition that dates back to 2002.
The Roadway Expansion Paradox
Motorists want expensive roadway expansions provided that somebody else foots the bill, but when required to pay directly through tolls, the need for more capacity often disappears. What should planners do?
The Blue State Problem
The New York Times and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have a message for progressives living in liberal cities in Blue States: you're part of the problem.
Downtown Foot Traffic Recovering Slowly, Report Says
Pedestrian activity in U.S. downtowns is still way down compared to pre-Covid levels, but the numbers are ticking back up month by month.
Another Biden COVID Vaccine Mandate on Hold
Last month, a court stayed Biden's large private employer mandate that requires workers to be vaccinated or test-and-mask. On Tuesday, a federal district court judge stayed the vaccine mandate that applies nationwide to most health care workers.
Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning
The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.
Water Replenishment District (WRD)
City of Kissimmee
Symbium
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
