USDOT Pilot Program Seeks Innovative Transportation Proposals
Summary
- USDOT is offering $28.5M in competitive grant funding through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to make mass transit more affordable and family-friendly.
- The pilot program is prioritizing projects that integrate land use and transit investments to better connect families to jobs, education, healthcare, and other key services.
- Grant applications are due by July 10, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced a $28.5 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invest in making mass transit more family-friendly and affordable.
Through the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning competitive grant program, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is seeking proposals that advance safety and innovation while making commuting easier for families.
This revamped program will invest in transit corridors that connect families to jobs, education, and healthcare, which can improve regional mobility, growth, and prosperity.
— U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy
The Pilot Program for TOD Planning aims to provide funding for communities to integrate land use and transportation planning — which is also a top policy priority for planners and APA in 2026. As experts in land use who understand the unique transportation needs of their communities, planners have an important perspective to offer in shaping the future of transportation at the local, state, and federal levels.
The NOFO focuses on several priority considerations for funding, including:
- Safety: How a project advances safe journeys along corridors and at stations, and encourages a safe route to services along corridors, such as school, childcare, recreation, and social services.
- Innovation: How a project fosters innovative approaches, partnerships with transit agencies and advocates; promotes research, innovation, and demonstration of new technologies; and policies that stimulate private sector participation, private investment, and public-private partnerships to deliver infrastructure and TOD in the corridor.
- Benefits for Families and Communities: How a project increases transit access for families at the proposed transit station or along the corridor and how it integrates childcare and recreation near public transportation hubs.
Applicants are encouraged to submit eligible projects as soon as possible, and no later than July 10, 2026. Learn more at FTA's TOD webpage.
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