Twenty one planning projects have been awarded over $19 million between them by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in a bid to boost transportation infrastructure funding.
According to the two federal agencies, “public transportation doesn’t just move people; it moves communities.” A post on the DOT website goes on to say: “And we believe that when communities invest in new transit options, they can connect their citizens to jobs, education and opportunity. However, creating that connection to opportunity doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning.”
The aim of the project is to “help communities plan for housing, jobs and services centered around transit lines” which will hopefully enable cities to grow economically with transport links connecting workers and tourists.
“Our goal at FTA is to help these and other communities make the most of their investment in new transit services and harness greater benefits for residents.”
As America’s population looks set to grow by a quarter in the next three decades, there will be greater demand for travel options between “home and work, school, the doctor, shopping, and recreation–all while maintaining a good quality of life.”
Here are examples of other projects selected:
- The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh will receive $1.2 million to encourage transit-oriented development along a corridor connecting downtown Pittsburgh to neighborhoods on the east side of the city. The redevelopment authority, along with the Port Authority of Allegheny County and local partners, has begun initial planning and environmental review of a bus rapid transit project proposed for the corridor.
- The Sacramento Area Council of Governments will receive approximately $1.1 million to work with local partners to develop a toolkit of policy and regulatory changes to encourage transit-oriented development in the areas surrounding the planned Downtown Riverfront Streetcar project.
- GoTriangle (formerly Triangle Transit) in Durham, NC, will receive approximately $1.7 million to support efforts to implement transit-oriented development along the Durham-Orange Light Rail project, a light rail line the agency is developing between Durham and Chapel Hill.
A complete list of the winners and their grants is available on the FTA website.