• In FY 2024, the program received 35 applications requesting a total of $31.9M.
• 11 projects were funded to 11 recipients, totaling $10.4M.
• Funding awards ranged from $351,233 to $2,000,000.

• Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov “APPLY” function by 11:59 pm Eastern time July 10, 2026.

• Development of a comprehensive or site-specific planning study. 

• Found on (FTA's Website) and in the “SEARCH” module of Grants.gov.
• The funding opportunity ID is FTA-2026-003-TPE-TODP.
• Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted.

• April McLean-McCoy, Office of Planning and Environment, at April.McLeanMccoy@dot.gov or (202) 366-4033

• State (including territories, Washington, D.C.) and local governmental entities that are an FTA grant recipient (i.e., existing direct or designated recipients) as of the publication date of this NOFO.
• The Applicant must be the project sponsor of a new fixed guideway capital project or a core capacity improvement project, an entity with land use planning authority for the study area, or both.
• The Applicant must collaborate with the associated transit project sponsor and entities with land use planning authority for the study area to implement the planning efforts, as applicable.

• Must demonstrate sufficient legal, financial, and technical capabilities.
• FTA will not make awards for the following activities:
  • Capital project activities, including but not limited to land acquisition, construction, demolition, site preparation, and utility relocation.
  • Project development activities that would be reimbursable under an FTA capital grant, such as project planning, the design and engineering of stations and other facilities, environmental analyses needed for a transit capital project, or costs associated with specific joint development projects.
     

• Comprehensive and site-specific planning activities to improve the coordination between transportation and land use planning and investments.
  • Comprehensive planning is a methodical and iterative process that may include data collection, needs assessment, performance criteria, plan development, alternatives analysis, public engagement, implementation plans, and the subsequent implementation and monitoring of plans. A similar process may be used for site-specific planning.
  • Comprehensive planning activities are typically conducted at the corridor/regional and station area scales.
  • Site-specific planning is limited to a specific site or sites at one station on a corridor and may entail existing conditions analyses, market and feasibility studies, concept plans, and other preliminary planning activities. Separate applications should be submitted for site-specific planning at different stations. Comprehensive planning and site-specific planning studies must advance the MAP-21 standards.
    • Comprehensive or site-specific planning must be associated with a new fixed guideway capital project or a core capacity improvement project. Please refer to the links below for definitions:
      • (i)    New Fixed Guideway 49 U.S.C. 5309 definition per section (a)(5). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title49/html/USCODE-2020-title49-subtitleIII-chap53-sec5309.htm
      • (ii)    Core-Capacity Improvement Project 49 U.S.C. 5309 per section (a)(2). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title49/html/USCODE-2020-title49-subtitleIII-chap53-sec5309.htm
      • (iii)     Fixed Guideway Project 49 U.S.C. 5302(8) definition https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title49/pdf/USCODE-2023-title49-subtitleIII-chap53-sec5302.pdf
      • (iv)     Fixed-Guideway Bus-Rapid Transit Project definition 49 U.S.C. 5309 per section (a)(4) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2020-title49/html/USCODE-2020-title49-subtitleIII-chap53-sec5309.htm
    • Applicants must describe how proposed comprehensive or site-specific planning deliverables advance the metropolitan planning organization’s long-range plans.
    • Applicants must identify proposed performance criteria for their comprehensive or site-specific planning study and activities as part of their application. The proposed performance criteria must include goals and metrics for the planning effort. FTA understands that criteria and goals may change as part of an iterative, comprehensive planning process.
    • Applicants must identify partners; availability of and authority for funding; and potential State, local, or other impediments to the implementation of the comprehensive plan or the site-specific plan
    • Only one comprehensive planning application per transit capital project corridor may be submitted to FTA; FTA will not make awards to multiple comprehensive planning applications submitted for a single corridor. Further, multiple applications for a single corridor indicate that partnerships are not in place, and FTA may reject all applications submitted if this occurs.
    • FTA may accept multiple planning applications for a corridor if the following applies:
      • (i)    Each application is for site-specific planning at different stations, or
      • (ii)    Each application was submitted by a separate applicant with different land-use authorities, and the given application does not overlap with any other application(s) that would cover the same study area.
    • Project deliverables may include, but are not restricted to the following:
      • A comprehensive TOD plan report that includes corridor development policies and station area development plans comprising the corridor or the specific site, a proposed timeline, and recommended financing strategies for these plans;
      • Revised TOD-supportive zoning codes or resolutions that reduce barriers to TOD;
      • A report evaluating and recommending financial tools to encourage TOD implementation, such as land banking, value capture, and development financing; and
      • A plan with supportive policies for pedestrian or bicycle connectivity that reduces barriers to active transportation spines.
      • Corridor and site-specific joint development strategies and implementation framework.
      • Policies to increase the housing supply, such as:
        • Reducing or eliminating minimum parking requirements;
        • Creating or expanding programs for attainable rental housing;
        • Streamlining permitting processes for units at various Area Median Incomes (AMI);
        • Promoting TOD by eliminating regulatory hurdles that drive up costs or delay construction;
        • Advancing upzoning policies, allowing for greater density in appropriate areas;
        • Partnering with housing authorities, community organizations, & private developers to pilot innovative housing models, and
        • Encouraging mid-rise, mixed-use buildings—typically seven to twelve stories—in locations suitable to existing and future residents.
      • Policies to encourage TOD, including actions that reduce regulatory barriers that unnecessarily raise the costs of housing development or impede the development of  housing; and
      • Local or regional resolutions to implement TOD plans or establish TOD funding mechanisms, such as  housing plans or policies that encourage coordination efforts between transportation and housing agencies, or community development corporations.
         

• FTA will not make awards for the following activities:
  • Capital activities, such as land acquisition, construction, demolition, site preparation, and utility relocation; and
  • Transit project development activities that would be reimbursable under an FTA capital grant, such as project planning, the design and engineering of stations and other facilities, environmental analyses needed for the transit capital project, or costs associated with specific joint development projects.

• The maximum Federal share is 80 percent of the net project cost.
• Applicants must include a description of their financial commitment to the proposed project.
• More information about eligible sources of local match can be found in FTA Circular 9050.1A and FTA Circular 9040.1H.

• Available at Grants.gov
• All sections of the SF-424 must be completed unless the form states a section is optional

• Available at Grants.gov or the FTA website.
• The Supplemental Form and any supporting documents must be attached to the “Attachments” section of the SF-424.
• The information entered into the Supplemental Form will be used to evaluate the project and determine whether or not the proposal will be funded according to the selection criteria described in Section 6 (Application Review Information) below.
• All sections of the Supplemental Form must be completed unless the form states a section is optional. 

• A map of the proposed study area showing the transit project alignment and stations, major roadways, major landmarks, and the geographic boundaries of the proposed comprehensive or site-specific planning activities;
• Documentation of a partnership between the transit project sponsor and an entity in the project corridor with land use planning authority to conduct the comprehensive or site-specific planning work; and
• Documentation of any funding commitments for the proposed comprehensive or site-specific planning work.

• Register on the Grants.gov website well before the application deadline. Grants.gov registration is a multi-step process that may take several weeks to complete.
• If you have already registered in Grants.gov, you may still need to update your registration before you can apply.
• FTA strongly recommends you submit your proposal at least 72 hours before the due date. This allows time to correct any submission problems.
• FTA's system cannot accept Supplemental Forms that are: 1) scanned, a “print” to PDF, or a converted version using another text editor, etc.; or 2) from prior years. Use this year’s form and fill it out on your computer.
• Applicants can find more information on how to navigate Grants.gov on DOT Navigator.

• SAM registration usually takes about 3-5 business days.
• However, FTA recommends allowing several weeks for the registration process because there could be unexpected delays (such as needing to get an Employer Identification Number).
• For additional information on obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit SAM.gov.

Describe how the planning project advances each criterion:

• Enhances economic development, ridership, and other goals established during the project development and engineering processes;
• Facilitates multimodal connectivity and accessibility;
• Increases access to transit hubs for pedestrian and bicycle traffic;
• Enables mixed-use development;
• Identifies infrastructure needs associated with the eligible project; and
• Includes private sector participation. 
   

Describe the demonstrated need for funding based on the following factors:

• Identified infrastructure, access, and land use planning needs associated with the eligible transit capital project;
• Status of the associated new fixed guideway transit project, including implementation phase, construction timeline, and funding commitments;
• How the proposed work will advance TOD implementation in the corridor and region;
• Extent to which the transit project corridor could benefit from TOD planning; and/or
• Justification as to why Federal funds are needed for the proposed work. Applicants are encouraged to identify scaled funding options in case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full requested amount. If the project is scalable, include the minimum funding amount required for a viable project and explain how a reduced award would affect the project. 
   

Describe the work plan, schedule, and process for implementing the planning study, such as:

• Detailed and achievable project schedule and process that identifies implementation steps, major tasks, substantial deliverables, and related activities. Identify anticipated dates for incorporating the planning work effort into the region’s unified planning work program, implementing tasks, and completing the overall planning effort.
• Extent to which the associated transit capital project and comprehensive or site-specific planning work advance the metropolitan transportation plan of the metropolitan planning organization.
• Proposed performance criteria for the development and implementation of the comprehensive or site-specific planning work, including any efforts to refine performance criteria as part of an iterative comprehensive planning process.
• Extent of partnerships with public and private stakeholders, including corridor municipalities, land use authorities, transit providers, private developers, and community organizations.
• The technical capability of the Applicant and its partners to evaluate, develop, adopt, and implement the comprehensive or site-specific plans, demonstrated by the identified policy development, implementation, and financial roles of the partners, and the roles and responsibilities of proposed staff.
• The potential State, local, or other impediments to the implementation of the comprehensive or site-specific plan, and how the work plan will address them. 
   

Identify the local matching funds for the planning work.

• In general, the maximum Federal funding share for proposals is 80 percent. Applicants must state whether other Federal funds have been sought or received for the comprehensive or site-specific planning project.
• The application should include a description of the applicant’s financial commitment to the proposed project. Demonstration of matching funds for the proposed comprehensive planning or site-specific planning work that are already committed will receive higher ratings. Conversely, matching funding sources identified, but are not yet committed, are given lower ratings, including in-kind contributions that constitute the primary or sole source of a match.
• If the project is scalable, include the minimum funding amount and funding commitments for the reduced scope.

Describe your technical, legal, and financial capacity to undertake the project.

• Explain your ability to carry out the proposed project successfully (for example, adequate staffing levels or similar projects that have been carried out successfully).
• Explain if you have any outstanding legal, technical, or financial compliance issues from an FTA compliance review or 15 FTA grant-related Single Audit finding. As relevant, explain how corrective actions will mitigate negative impacts on the proposed project.

To receive credit, applicants must:

• Describe how the proposed planning study will enhance safety measures and outcomes in the study area.

Identify two or more methods you will use, such as:

• Safety and security needs assessment for the station, station area, or corridor, and opportunities for TOD to address needs.
• Policies and plans to reduce fare evasion and crime.
• Policies that support safe transit journeys to/from stations, at stations, and transit connections.
• Policies and measures to reduce conflicts between modes of transportation.
• Policies that encourage adequate signage, lighting, and visual corridors in station areas.
• Policies that encourage safe routes to community services such as school, childcare, recreation, and social services.
• Policies developed in unison with local community partners and first responders that target safety concerns identified by residents residing along the corridor, or riders. 

To receive credit, applicants must:

• Describe how your proposed planning study will advance accessibility for families, rural communities, transit-dependent populations, and persons with intellectual, developmental, sensory, or mobility disabilities, to improve access to jobs, healthcare facilities, recreational activities, and commercial activity.
• Describe how the project will improve the quality of life, raise the standard of living, or enable fuller participation in the economy for these groups.

Identify at least two or more methods you will use, such as:

• Infrastructure needs assessment for station and station area accessibility for all users.
• Policies that increase transit access for families at the proposed station or along the corridor.
• Policies that prioritize transit location efficiency of childcare, education, recreation, and medical facilities to support caregivers.
• Policies that integrate childcare and recreation near public transportation hubs.
• Policies that deliver attainable transit-adjacent housing options for families and individuals with disabilities.
• Policies and measures that advance universal design principles as a standard for community investment. 
   

To receive credit, applicants must:

• Describe how your proposed planning study supports innovative strategies and partnerships to realize successful TOD investments in the study area.

Identify two or more methods you will use, such as:

• Policies that foster innovative approaches, partnerships with transit agencies and advocates, and promote research, innovation, and demonstration of new technologies.
• Artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools that augment planning activities, such as existing condition analyses, scenario planning, etc.
• Engagement with the private sector as part of the planning process.
• Policies that stimulate private sector participation, private investment, and public-private partnerships to deliver infrastructure and TOD in the corridor.
• Policies and frameworks for joint development planning and value capture strategies.
• Policies that advance community engagement activities for the proposed planning study corridor or station.
• Policies that encourage the use of Mobility as Service (MaaS).
• Policies that advance value capture mechanisms. Value capture refers to the recipient’s recovery of a share of the financial value created by the recipient’s transit activities. For more information, see https://www.transit.dot.gov/valuecapture. 

To receive credit, the applicant must:

• Identify whether the project is located in or supports public transportation service in one or more qualified opportunity zones designated pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1;
• Identify the Census Tract Numbers of the opportunity zones at the time of designation (Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 2018-48); and the 2020 Census did not impact the boundaries of opportunity zones. More information and a link to a map of Opportunity Zones can be found on the IRS Opportunity Zone website.

Describe how your proposed planning study will impact the opportunity zone(s).

Identify at least two methods as part of the planning efforts, including but not limited to:

• Policies to prioritize redevelopment of underutilized, publicly owned land, including Federal, State, and municipal properties.
• Policies that eliminate regulatory hurdles that increase costs and delay construction.
• Policies to reduce construction and permitting costs for TOD and transit projects.
• Policies to increase housing production.
• Policies and efforts to maximize investments in Opportunity Zones.
• Policies that enhance community connectedness to areas of greater economic opportunity.