Filing Date:

Varies; contact your state DOT for more information.

Eligibility:

Designated recipients are public bodies with the legal authority to receive and dispense federal funds. Governors, responsible local officials and publicly owned operators of transit services are to designate a recipient to apply for, receive, and dispense funds for urbanized areas pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5307(a)(2). The governor or governor’s designee is the designated recipient for urbanized areas with a population between 50,000 and 200,000.

Description:

Eligible activities include planning, engineering design and evaluation of transit projects and other technical transportation-related studies; capital investments in bus and bus-related activities such as replacement of buses, overhaul and rebuilding of buses; crime prevention and security equipment; construction of maintenance and passenger facilities; and capital investments in new and existing fixed guideway systems including rolling stock, overhaul and rebuilding of vehicles, track, signals, communications, and computer hardware and software.

For urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000, operating assistance is an eligible expense. In areas over 200,000 in population, operating assistance is an eligible expense in certain situations.

This grant option might be especially useful in areas where intercity passenger rail and local/regional buses or other transportation services operate out of an intermodal facility and therefore share common areas such as passenger waiting rooms.

For example, the Long Island Railroad’s Seaford Station underwent a $14 million renovation and new construction project in 2008-2009 to repair the platform level waiting room, elevator, escalator, stairs and lighting. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority received $2.4 million in Section 5307 (under SAFETEA-LU) grants to replace the 12 car long concrete platforms.

Financing:

The federal share is not to exceed 80 percent of the net capital project cost, and it may not exceed 50 percent of the net project cost of operating assistance. Funding is apportioned on the basis of legislative formulas. For areas of 50,000 to 199,999 in population, the formula is based on population and population density. For areas with populations of 200,000 and more, the formula is based on a combination of bus revenue vehicle miles, bus passenger miles, fixed guideway revenue vehicle miles, and fixed guideway route miles as well as population and population density.

For urbanized areas with 200,000 in population and over, funds are apportioned and flow directly to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the funds are apportioned to the governor of each state for distribution.

Funding:

$5.0 billion (FY 2016)
$5.1 billion (FY 2017)
$5.2 billion (FY 2018)
$5.3 billion (FY 2019)
$5.4 billion (FY 2020)

Additional Information:

Federal Transit Administration – Urbanized Area Formula Grants