USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Fiscal Year 2023 Areas of Persistent Poverty (AoPP) Project Selections

State Project Sponsor Project Description Amount
AK Bristol Bay Native Association The Bristol Bay Native Association will receive funding to develop a plan to initiate transit service along the Nushagak River in southwestern Alaska. The plan will evaluate how transit can better connect people in Dillingham and Aleknagik to jobs and opportunities, particularly for older adults, people with disabilities and those with low incomes in the Bristol Bay region. $54,300
AK Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will receive funding to conduct a statewide transit study that assesses transportation needs statewide, with a focus on small, tribal and disadvantaged communities. The assessment will list barriers to access and recommend solutions to reconnect communities and will identify capital projects alongside equity considerations. $785,400
AR Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission will receive funding to study and improve up to 60 bus stops throughout Northwest Arkansas. The study will provide engineering, design and improvement activities for Ozark Regional Transit and Razorback Transit, such as accessibility features like sidewalks and ramps as well as rider amenities to include benches, shelters, and lighting. $180,000
AZ Yavapai-Apache Nation The Yavapai-Apache Nation will receive funding to plan and design an expansion of its bus system to serve a larger area of Yavapai County in rural central Arizona. The plan will include design and engineering for a new, larger maintenance facility and details for expanding transit's reach with new routes to provide better access to jobs, healthcare, and other tribal communities. $125,000
CA City of Vista The City of Vista will receive funding to create a multimodal mobility plan for the Vista Transit Center and surrounding neighborhoods with a focus on reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips, curbing pollution, and improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders and drivers. This project will improve safety and accessibility for the historically disadvantaged community by recommending bicycle and pedestrian crossings, bus stop improvements and a grade separation plan to reduce conflicts between trains and road users. $254,250
CA City of Fresno The City of Fresno will receive funding to prepare a transit planning study for Southeast Fresno that will identify potential transit corridors for fixed-route service, microtransit options, and potential sites for future mobility hubs. The plan will help update the city's Facilities Master Plan to accommodate future transit needs. $785,400
CA Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) will receive funding to develop a community transit plan for the Foothill Boulevard corridor in Oakland that will include service improvements and transit priority recommendations. The plan will help connect people who live in an area that experiences persistent poverty to jobs, schools, healthcare and other services and improve their health by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. $450,000
CA San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) will receive funding for conceptual planning and engineering work to transform the San Ysidro Transit Center and surrounding neighborhood into a vibrant mobility hub that will reinvigorate the community, rebuild community connections and improve access to the regional transit system. SANDAG and partner agencies will develop strategies to improve safety, better integrate mobility and land use, and enhance mobility for residents of San Ysidro, a historically disadvantaged community. $785,400
CA Paratransit, Inc. Paratransit, Inc., will receive funding to study the feasibility to operate a free standardized route to take residents in disadvantaged communities in Sacramento to non-emergency medical facilities. This project will help improve rides for clients and lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. $175,000
CO Regional Transportation District (RTD) The Regional Transportation District (RTD) will receive funding to conduct a bus stop accessibility study and equity analysis that will set the stage for RTD to bring bus stops into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and make other improvements to enhance the rider experience. The study will assess RTD's 8,200 bus stops, create a database of stations with ridership and other contextual information, and develop a framework to prioritize improvements based on equity. $500,000
CT Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority will receive funding to conduct a planning analysis targeting underserved communities. It will develop policy and planning processes that link equity with transit investment; a fleet, facility, and deployment plan to transition the bus fleet to zero- emission propulsion systems; and an educational program for residents and business owners to better inform them about transit and mobility options. $450,000
FL Volusia County d/b/a Votran Volusia County will receive funding for planning and engineering of the planned Southwest Intermodal Transfer Facility, which will provide vital connections for fixed route and microtransit riders in low-income communities. $750,000
GA Augusta Transit Augusta Transit will receive funding to explore the potential of introducing microtransit services to improve access to jobs, grocery stores and educational opportunities as well as health outcomes and environmental quality in the community. The study will also provide guidance on introducing battery electric buses for fixed route transit services in South Augusta to enhance the social, economic, and environmental well being. $300,000
IA City of Dubuque The city of Dubuque's The Jule will receive funding to conduct a planning study that will help the transit agency optimize its bus routes, identify potential service changes, and determine appropriate equipment and facility needs. $225,000
IL Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will receive $778,500 to assess whether to reopen the historic Englewood (Green) Line Racine station with modern accessibility standards. The station, which closed nearly 30 years ago, is recognized as a key investment to revitalize the neighborhood. By engaging with residents and other advocates, CTA hopes to maximize the impact of increased transit access and the positive effect it can have on the community.  $778,500
IN Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) will receive funding to plan, design and improve up to 113 bus stops to be ADA compliant in neighborhoods where people experience persistent poverty. Increasing the accessibility of bus stops in underserved areas will improve access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and other services and create community connectivity. $637,500
MA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will receive funding to complete the design of on-route battery-electric bus chargers at the Ashmont bus station. This station serves as a major transportation hub, facilitating connections between the subway, trolley, and 11 bus routes. The project will support transit reliability for the neighboring disadvantaged communities these stations serve and contribute toward the MBTA's ambitious target of electrifying the entire bus fleet by 2040. $127,367
MA Montachusett Regional Transit Authority The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority will receive funding to design and implement a regional app that will aggregate trips with other agencies and companies. MART plans to be the primary hub for transit services in North Central Massachusetts and, by integrating transportation planning through technologies, will create more affordable transportation options for residents, making it easier for them to find affordable transportation jobs, job training, education, healthcare, and essential activities. $685,746
MD Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland Shore Transit Division Shore Transit, which operates on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore, will receive funding to conduct an evaluation of its transit system design. The study will focus on ensuring disadvantaged communities have transit access and that the transportation needs of the community are met. $327,600
MD Harford County Maryland Harford Transit LINK in northeastern Maryland will receive funding to develop a plan to initiate microtransit service, improving access to jobs, schools, and healthcare for individuals who live in areas of persistent poverty. The project will help Harford County continue to implement transportation opportunities that enhance the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of the community. $127,500
ME Maine Department of Transportation The Maine Department of Transportation will receive funding to help two rural public transit agencies create a community-based transportation model that will aggregate transportation services, including non-emergency medical transportation and taxi companies. It will also automate its dispatch operations and fare card system with real-time data, which will allow the systems to expand and provide more service. $650,462
MI Mass Transportation Authority The Mass Transportation Authority will receive funding to conduct a zero-emission transition plan and environmental remediation study on land, previously used as an auto body shop, that will house its future bus fleet. The assessment will determine any hazards to be removed at the site before further development to eliminate toxic exposure to a historically disadvantaged community. $480,000
MO City of Joplin, Missouri The City of Joplin, Missouri will receive funding to study gaps in the transportation network in underserved communities and identify ways to advance safe and equitable access to critical services. The study will offer ways to expand public transportation and ensure the system meets the needs of people who lack affordable access to jobs, schools, healthcare and public services. $400,000
MS Jackson Medical Mall Foundation The Jackson Medical Mall Foundation will receive funding to develop a framework to expand transportation options with a community-based transportation model that will allow residents to search, book and ride on available transit assets. The proposed plan looks to improve public transportation by improving efficiency and ensuring their system meets the needs of individuals who lack access to jobs, schools, healthcare and public services in Central Mississippi and throughout the state. $612,684
MT Montana Department of Transportation The Montana Department of Transportation will receive funding to plan for new transit services in the city of Bozeman. The project will incorporate climate change, racial equity, and environmental justice into the transit development plan, as well as generate a financing plan that will provide a long-term sustainable funding source for these new services. $451,500
NC Macon County Macon County will receive funding to partner with transit agencies in rural North Carolina to implement an app that will make it easier to book and manage low-cost rides. This partnership aims to improve rural transportation services in an efficient, coordinated, and cost-effective manner. $464,616
NC City of Durham The city of Durham will receive funding to plan for a mobility hub east of downtown Durham to be called the Village Transit Center. The proposed mobility hub will provide equitable access to transit and increase connections to employment, healthcare and education opportunities. $292,500
NC Town of Chapel Hill The town of Chapel Hill will receive funding to plan and develop a new, app-based, on-demand microtransit system to serve a two-mile corridor of the planned North-South bus rapid transit route. The proposed service would provide fast, efficient transportation for economically disadvantaged people and provide easy access to an area with numerous medical, employment, and shopping opportunities. $350,000
NJ New Jersey Transit Corporation New Jersey Transit will receive funding to conduct a study and network redesign of bus service between Paterson and Passaic, NJ. The project will assess existing services and lay the foundation for an update to the bus system between these two communities to improve access and reduce wait times. $600,000
NY Dutchess, County of (Inc) Dutchess County will receive funding to conduct a study and develop strategies for the phased implementation of battery-electric transit buses for the Dutchess County Public Transit System. The study will identify infrastructure requirements for implementation, evaluate electrical capabilities for transit facilities and other potential charging locations, and set forth a plan to coordinate upgrades. $450,000
NY Chemung County Chemung County (C TRAN) will receive funding to conduct a study that will support the transition of C TRAN's bus garage to store electric vehicles as well as redevelop an existing site and improve public access for transportation. By making improvements to its existing bus garage, and redeveloping it into an alternative transit hub, this project will offer new transportation opportunities for residents. $282,000
NV Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will receive funding to draft a plan that provides equitable access to mobility that will result in an improved transportation experience for underserved communities in southern Nevada. Key components of the plan include developing design options for mobility hubs and improved transit amenities. $630,000
OH Butler County Regional Transit Authority BCRTA The Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) will receive funding to work with the city of Oxford, OH, to conduct a planning study to create bicycle and pedestrian connections to BCRTA transit facilities. This study will ensure that the city's 23,000 residents have an opportunity to access jobs, public services, education, and healthcare facilities. $150,000
OH Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) will receive funding to conduct a study on the agency's fixed-route transit bus routes. SORTA will gather data on trips to improve environmental justice within the transit network, increase the overall condition of the system, enhance access and mobility, and continue to strengthen regional support for transit within the Greater Cincinnati Region. $363,545
OH City of Cincinnati The city of Cincinnati will receive funding to study opportunities to use innovative technological enhancements to the Cincinnati Connector Streetcar system. The project is designed to improve the customer experience, safety, increase transit access, and maximize proposed and existing transit assets. $250,000
OK Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation, located in Northeastern Oklahoma, will receive funding to update its long-range transit plan to guide the planning, construction, and deployment of future tribal transit projects. The review will include an electric vehicle infrastructure assessment to plan for expansion and a technology assessment designed to increase user access for its 450,000 tribal citizens. $576,188
OR Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) will receive funding to design infrastructure enhancements for high capacity transit service on the 82nd Avenue Corridor between Clackamas Town Center and NE Killingsworth Street. This project will look to improve safety, access, mobility, and equity and remove barriers to opportunity by identifying bus rapid transit improvements and analyzing the use of zero- emission buses. $630,000
PA Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will receive funding to design plans for sidewalk projects that improve access to transit stops in the Greater Philadelphia region. The project will look to identify gaps in the regional sidewalk network that present the greatest barriers to access to transit, as well as reconstructing sidewalks in poor condition, adding lighting and/or bus stop pads for improved accessibility. $450,000
PA Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in partnership with the city of Philadelphia, will receive funding to study, plan, and design transportation improvements for the Erie Avenue Corridor from West Hunting Park Avenue to Kensington Avenue. This project will look to improve safety for pedestrians, and optimize transit services, ensuring the needs of individuals who lack access to employment, public services, education, and healthcare facilities. $500,000
SC Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments will receive funding to develop a rural on-demand transit plan in the city of Summerville for TriCounty Link. The project will support planning work to implement same day, on-demand transit service in the underserved rural areas of Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties, in SC, as well as develop plans for fixed-route services in Summerville, SC. $342,000
SD Coordinated Community Transportation Systems: DBA, River Cities Public Transit The Coordinated Community Transportation Systems, (River Cities Public Transit) will receive funding to develop a transit plan that would serve Native American reservations in South Dakota by improving efficiency and ensuring their system meets the needs of people who lack access to employment, public services, education, and healthcare facilities. $527,520
TX Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will receive funding to plan and design two new transit facilities in East and Southwest Dallas that will enhance safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, and community connectivity in the surrounding neighborhoods along the bus routes that access the two locations. DART will engage the community and stakeholder organizations to ensure that transit facilities become an integral part of the communities they serve to benefit residents and the broader community. $536,155
TX City of El Paso The city of El Paso will receive funding to update its 2016 Bike Plan addressing first-mile and last-mile cycling connectivity for improved safe and equitable access to the Sun Metro BRIO transit system. The plan will focus on improving mobility and access to jobs, healthcare, and educational opportunities. $360,000
VA Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will receive funding to develop a plan designed to improve transit accessibility and advance transit electrification efforts in Petersburg, Virginia through an inclusive and equitable planning process. The plan will identify opportunities for improved paratransit service reliability, evaluate the potential for transit accessibility improvements to key regional destinations and identify a course for Petersburg Area Transit to electrify its transit fleet. $450,000
WA Skagit Transit Skagit Transit will receive funding to develop an operational plan for using microtransit services to connect residents in areas of persistent poverty with resources and opportunities within reasonable commute times. $80,000
WI City of Madison The city of Madison will receive funding for a plan for its proposed North-South "B" bus rapid transit line, which will provide high-quality service to areas of persistent poverty. The expanded system will reduce overcrowding on buses while providing more direct access to jobs, schools, healthcare, services, and other destinations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with battery-electric buses. $258,480
WI Milwaukee County Department of Transportation The Milwaukee County Department of Transportation will receive funding to study the feasibility of a shared Bus-Bike Only Lane on 35th Street (a major arterial street) between W. Vliet Street and W. National Avenue connecting the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County's North and South Sides. The proposed study will look to improve transit reliability and safer, more accessible multimodal travel opportunities for users of this vital transit corridor, including some of the most vulnerable and under-represented residents in Milwaukee County. $400,000

Total Funds:
$20,041,613