On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) said it would seek public comments on its revisions to policy guidance for the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program.
The CIG program supports transit projects that have transformative impacts on communities across the country, and is the government’s primary way to support large, locally driven transit projects. As part of the program, project sponsors, including transit agencies, cities, or others, with projects that progress through multi-year, multi-step CIG processes can receive federal support for high-capacity projects like subways, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit projects. Increased funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has helped the program award 14 large transit projects in 11 states nearly $4 billion in federal support.
“The Capital Investment Grants program is one of the best opportunities for us to leverage significant Federal investment into projects that are going to improve the lives of everyday Americans,” said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. “FTA is on a path to invest in more than 60 projects from coast to coast, in communities large and small. This guidance will help ensure that we are building good projects well and transforming communities for decades to come.”
The FTA implements the program, and has revised the CIG Policy Guidance to include feedback received from the public to the FTA’s Request for Information published in July 2021; updated data used for project evaluation and rating; priorities for equity, resilience and affordable housing, a new ‘bundling’ provision for project sponsors pursuing multiple CIG projects, and overall readability.
Comments should be submitted to the Federal Register by June 4, 2024.