The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) made available $20.5 million in competitive grant funds to support planning efforts that improve access to public transit in communities across the country. The grant funds are provided through FTA’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Pilot Program. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) appears in the Federal Register.

“Public transit plays a critical role in connecting Americans to jobs, education and opportunity,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “When we plan housing, jobs and services centered around transit lines, we build a strong foundation for the economic development that our growing nation needs.”

Related: FTA to provide 9 cities with TOD technical assistance

The TOD Planning Pilot Program provides grants for comprehensive planning in communities that are developing or implementing major new public transportation projects. Last year, FTA awarded $19.5 million to 21 projects in 17 metropolitan areas around the country. The grants supported comprehensive planning efforts such as conducting an economic analysis for communities along a planned light rail extension in Durham, N.C.; developing updated zoning codes, an infrastructure assessment and affordable housing plans for areas along a planned streetcar route in Sacramento, Calif.; and developing land-use plans along a corridor where a bus rapid transit system is planned in Lansing, Mich.

“This funding opportunity will help communities plan development that creates jobs, encourages transit use, and gives residents convenient access to work, school, medical care, housing and other vital services,” said FTA Senior Advisor Carolyn Flowers. “Transit-oriented development helps ensure that the benefits of new transit lines extend throughout a community.”

To be eligible for the Pilot Program, the planning work must be associated with a transit project for which the local community intends to seek funding through FTA’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program or that recently received funding through the CIG Program. The CIG Program is FTA’s primary grant program for funding major transit capital investments, including heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, bus rapid transit and core capacity projects.

FTA’s TOD Pilot Program was established under the MAP-21 and amended by the FAST Act. The program helps localities plan improved access to transit, jobs, education and services, and helps revitalize communities by attracting new opportunities, jobs and housing.

In addition, the program encourages inclusive communities and seeks planning solutions to reduce residential and commercial displacement that can result from gentrification. It seeks to connect people to opportunities through multimodal access to transit stations and to enhance connectivity of disadvantaged populations to essential services.