Funding Wizard

The main purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the nation’s transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles. The Low-No Program provides funding to State and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.

Notice of Funding Opportunity for Real-Time Transit Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Condition Assessment Demonstration Program. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of $1.25 Million Public Transportation Innovation funds to projects that demonstrate innovative, effective approaches, practices, partnerships, and technologies that enhance public transportation effectiveness, increase efficiency, expand quality, promote safety, and improve the traveler’s experience. FTA is seeking applications for demonstration projects that deploy cutting edge technologies to provide real-time assessment of transit infrastructure and rolling stock conditions. The major goals of this program are to enhance asset management of infrastructure and safety through innovative technologies and allow a more effective way for transit agencies to assess, detect, monitor and track deficiencies and defects related to transit infrastructure.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $5 million in funding provided by the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program (TTP)), as authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5311(c)(1)(A), as amended by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST), Public Law 114-94 (December 4, 2015). This is a national solicitation for project proposals and includes the selection criteria and program eligibility information for Fiscal Year 2020 projects. The primary purpose of these competitively selected grants is to support planning, capital, and, in limited circumstances, operating assistance for tribal public transit services. Funds distributed to Indian tribes under the TTP should not replace or reduce funds that Indian tribes receive from states through FTA’s Section 5311 program.

Notice of Funding Opportunity for PILOT PROGRAM FOR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD) PLANNING. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for approximately $6.22 million of funding under the Pilot Program for TOD Planning (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance #20.500). As required by federal transit law and subject to funding availability, funds will be awarded competitively to support comprehensive planning associated with new fixed guideway and core capacity improvement projects. FTA anticipates minimum grant awards of $250,000 and maximum grant awards of $2,000,000. The Pilot Program for TOD Planning is intended to fund comprehensive planning that supports economic development, ridership, multimodal connectivity and accessibility, increased transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and mixed-use development near transit stations. The program also encourages identification of infrastructure needs and engagement with the private sector. Consistent with statutory direction, FTA is seeking comprehensive planning projects covering an entire transit capital project corridor, rather than proposals that involve planning for individual station areas or only a small section of the corridor. To ensure any proposed planning work reflects the needs and aspirations of the local community and results in concrete, specific deliverables and outcomes, transit project sponsors must partner with entities with land use planning authority in the transit project corridor to conduct the planning work.The Pilot Program for TOD Planning helps support FTA’s mission of improving public transportation for America’s communities by providing funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning around a new fixed guideway or core capacity improvement project. Per statute, any comprehensive planning funded through the program must examine ways to improve economic development and ridership, foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility, improve transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, engage the private sector, identify infrastructure needs, and enable mixed-use development near transit stations.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $10 million as part of a new COVID-19 Recovery Research Demonstration Program to provide research funding for innovative solutions that support the phased reopening of local economies through access to safe public transportation. The COVID-19 Recovery Research Demonstration Program will fund research grants that explore and later will disseminate ways to improve the safety of transit frontline workers and riders in areas such as sanitation/decontamination; exposure mitigation; customer confidence; and contactless payment.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $180 million in competitive grants under the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) (Federal Assistance Listing: 20.526). As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively for the purchase or lease of low or no emission vehicles that use advanced technologies for transit revenue operations, including related equipment or facilities. Additionally, recipients are permitted to use up to 0.5 percent of their requested grant award for workforce development activities eligible under Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5314(b)) and an additional 0.5 percent for costs associated with training at the National Transit Institute. Projects may include costs incidental to the acquisition of buses or to the construction of facilities, such as the costs of related workforce development and training activities, and project administration expenses.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces this competitive opportunity to apply for $5 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 and 2021 Technical Assistance and Workforce Development funds to establish a Transit Workforce Center (TWC) that supports public transit agencies’ workforce development needs for all modes of public transit across urban, tribal, and rural entities. The Assistance Listing number for this activity is 20.531. The overarching mission of this new center is to assist public transit agencies to recruit, hire, train, and retain the diverse workforce needed now and in the future.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $10 million in competitive grants for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations (Tribal Transit) Program (Federal Assistance Listing: 20.509). As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively for any purpose eligible under FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program, 49 U.S.C. 5311, including planning, capital, and operating assistance for tribal public transit services in rural areas.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $38 million in competitive grants under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Passenger Ferry Grant Program (Ferry Program) (Federal Assistance Listing #20.507). Of that amount, $4 million is available only for low or zero-emission ferries or ferries using electric battery or fuel cell components and the infrastructure to support such ferries. As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively to designated recipients or eligible direct recipients of Urbanized Area Formula funds to support capital projects to improve existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service, and repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities and equipment.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $3.5 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 competitive grant funding to support transit services for 2021 Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program. Under the ICAM pilot program, funds awarded will finance innovative capital projects for the transportation-disadvantaged, with the goal to improve the coordination of transportation services and non-emergency medical transportation services for underserved groups. As required by Federal public transportation law and subject to appropriations, funds will be awarded competitively to eligible applicants. Eligible applicants are State departments of transportation, designated recipients for Section 5310 funds, or local governmental entities that operate a public transportation service, or their eligible subrecipients that have the authority and technical capacity to implement a regional or statewide cost allocation pilot.