FTA to assist nine cities with transit-oriented development projects

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has selected nine cities to receive technical assistance to encourage economic development around local transit service.

Part of the agency's nationwide transit-oriented development (TOD) initiative, the technical assistance will range from in-depth, multi-day visits to one-day targeted workshops, FTA officials said in a press release.

The assistance is aimed at jumpstarting local economies, with a focus on boosting disadvantaged areas, FTA officials said.

Following a competitive process, the agency chose the following communities for TOD technical assistance:
• Lynnwood, Wash., where the FTA will help craft strategies to attract development along a planned extension of Sound Transit's Lynwood Link light-rail line;
• Oklahoma City, where local leaders will use the technical assistance for workshops and neighborhood planning sessions to prepare for the restoration of the city's Santa Fe transit hub; and
• Honolulu, which is currently building a 20-mile passenger-rail system.

The FTA also will offer technical assistance to TOD efforts in Stamford, Conn.; Moline,
Ill.; Louisville, Ky.; Kansas City, Mo.; San Antonio, Texas; and Richmond, Va.

"We all know that an ideal place to develop — or redevelop — is near a transit station. This initiative encourages these cities to get the most value out of their investment dollars by capitalizing on the access that transit provides," said FTA Senior Adviser Carolyn Flowers.

In October 2015, the FTA selected Smart Growth America to lead the four-year TOD initiative and provide a variety of planning and analysis tools.