Transportation Department releases $17.6 million for transit-oriented development planning

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has released $17.6 million in planning grants as a part of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).

This is the second round of planning grants that draw on funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which has pledged $68.9 million for transit-oriented developments through 2026.

“Transportation and housing are the two biggest costs for most Americans,” FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said in a statement. “Today, we are delivering funding that will help create affordable places to live, while bringing down the costs of transportation for the people who live there.”

Spanning across 20 communities in six states, this year’s projects each include an affordable-housing component and require no matching grants — for the first time since the program started in 2015.

“It’s understandable why every major city is trying to do something for affordable housing.” Marshall Macomber, president and founder of ThinkP3 said on Episode 8 of “The Connection: Partnering Private and Public Entities,” a companion podcast of Government Market News. “It’s because essential workers have got to be in the heart of the city. Fire, police, nurses, doctors, they’ve got to be there.”

Although these specific grants have closed, the projects they help organize will create opportunities for contractors and developers of all industries.

“The money is to build affordable housing, small businesses, all kinds of amenities to make it easier and more pleasant and more convenient for public transportation,” Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., said on The Connection Podcast. “Developers ought to go crazy over this, but so should all other kinds of contractors because it’s going to be everything else from landscaping to technology to construction.”

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Colorado will receive $2 million to plan transit-oriented developments for a 20-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) on Federal Boulevard, focusing on affordable housing and avoiding displacement. They’ll work with CDOT to improve connections to BRT stations.

In Austin, Texas, CapMetro – the city’s transportation authority – will receive $1.5 million to plan transit-oriented developments and create a sustainable transit hub at CapMetro Rail Crestview Station. It will include affordable housing nearby.

Other notable projects include:

$1.5 million to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) to plan a TOD for the First Coast Flyer Green Line, a 10-mile bus rapid transit route with dedicated lanes.
$1.25 million to Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) to develop a station area and mobility plan for the Little Haiti Station.
$1.2 million to the city of Phoenix to plan TOD for three new light rail stations downtown. The project will focus on developing affordable housing and mixed-use spaces to boost economic growth and ridership.

To hear about more TOD and affordable housing initiatives, listen to Episode 8 of The Connection.