FTA seeks public input on 'XPEDITE' initiative

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will launch an "online dialogue" next week to solicit public comments on a new initiative to speed up planning, approval and delivery of capital investments, the agency announced today.

The public comment period will begin Sept. 8 for the FTA's "Expedited Public Transportation Improvement Initiative." Known by the the acronym XPEDITE, the program is designed to increase the transit industry’s access to better technology; "proven methods" to speed up planning and approval of FTA-backed funding; and "enhanced financing" for public-private partnerships of public transportation projects, FTA officials said in a press release.

The online comment period will run through Oct. 16. It is open to the general public, but the topic will likely be of interest to state agency personnel, metropolitan planning organizations, local government staff, transit agencies, nonprofits and transit advocacy groups, and private sector groups or individuals interested in transit, according to the FTA.