Angie Schmitt delivers news that will bring some post-holiday cheer to transit and smart growth advocates. The Federal Transit Administration has revised the criteria by which it judges projects vying for funds from two popular programs.
By considering a broader range of factors, including environmental and economic benefits, the popular New Starts and Small Starts programs, which provided roughly half the funding for transit expansions in the U.S. last year, will likely support more projects in dense urban environments.
"Previously," writes Schmitt, "the FTA relied heavily on 'travel time savings' to judge the merits of a project. The new formula will focus instead on the number of passengers expected to be served. Economic benefits like the impact on development will also be considered."
"The new criteria also employ broader measures of the environmental benefits of transit. Instead of using the EPA’s air quality formula as the sole measure of a project’s environmental benefits, the new evaluation process will also incorporate the expected effects on public health (including traffic fatality rates) and energy use."
"Advocates say the new rules will streamline the approval process and open the door to federal funding for a wider variety of transit projects."
FULL STORY: FTA Opens the Door For More Transit Expansions to Receive Federal Funding
$2 Billion Federal Grant for Red Line Extension Project to Chicago’s South Side
A plan to extend the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line 5.6 miles to the south won a $2 billion grant from the federal government.
Federal Transit Grants Delayed by the Trump Administration
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.
Downtown Pittsburgh to Oakland BRT Moving Forward, With or Without Federal Money
Expect more cities and transit agencies around the country to wrestle with funding quandaries if the Trump Administration gets its way with existing capital investment grants.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure
After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.
The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.
Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions