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This two-part study for the Seattle Urban League and the Seattle Streetcar Alliance sought to guide decisions regarding the financing of a network of streetcar lines in and near Downtown Seattle. The first part of the study addressed the potential revenue and funding sources for the operations, maintenance, and capital costs of developing streetcar lines. It drew from experiences around the country and abroad, particularly from the Portland, Oregon, and South Lake Union streetcar systems. The second part explored the social and economic characteristics of neighborhoods and districts that would affect the existing and planned network of streetcar lines and that might affect future extensions to this existing network.  During the many interviews conducted over the course of the work, we encountered strong interest in and support for expanding Seattle’s streetcar network among a wide range of Seattle employers and public agency staff. As in other cities, a streetcar system seems to…

An analysis of funding tables for BRT in the United States. It is important to note the difficulty of obtaining exact figures for every funding contribution to a transit project, even completed projects. As a result, although these tables strive to provide the most accurate information possible, figures for operating systems should be considered approximate, and figures for planned systems should be considered projected estimates.

The number of U.S. communities planning or studying bus rapid transit has increased significantly in the last few years. This is the result of recent BRT projects that have proven that BRT can work in the US. Also, there is fierce competition for federal capital project funds. Many transit agencies are also facing internal budget restrictions. This is creating a strong incentive to find more cost-effective transit options. This paper looks at the current state of BRT funding. It briefly describes major sources of BRT funding, and then describes how 18 BRT, rapid bus, and express bus projects – both operating and planned — have used these sources. The paper finds that, while funding opportunities for BRT have improved over the last few years, there are still some artificial barriers to BRT funding that will continue to challenge transit agencies if they are not addressed.

Downtown Rail Service Economic Impact Evaluation Capitol Market Research has prepared a development impact evaluation to determine the economic benefit that might accrue to the City of Austin if a fixed guideway circulator service is linked with the commuter rail line and provides convenient circulator service throughout the core of downtown Austin. Currently, Capitol Metro has committed to provide commuter rail service on the existing Northwest rail line, which terminates at Trinity and Fourth Streets, near the Austin Convention Center. The circulator service under consideration is a “fixed guideway" circulator service from the Seaholm Power Plant, along Fourth Street, to Congress Avenue, and from Fourth Street to Tenth Street along Congress Avenue. The circulator service is also planned to extend north, through the Capitol Complex and UT, and then out Manor Road to the Mueller redevelopment area. A separate initiative by the Austin-San Antonio Rail District also contemplates a…

Reviews Boston's transportation financial sustainability and makes recommendations for planning future expansion of service. That is why a report on transit investment begins by looking at issues of land use, housing production and economic development. ULI Boston is not advocating for transit for the sake of transit. Instead, this report views the MBTA transit system as a regional asset and critical piece of economic development infrastructure that anchors regional efforts to increase housing production, create jobs, grow smart and embrace diversity and inclusion.

Policy guidance regarding fixed guideway capital project review and evaluation

The Survey of State Funding for Public Transportation is a primary resource for state-level data on transit funding and is used by states across the country to examine their public transportation funding programs in relation to other states. Prepared by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Office of Survey Programs under the auspices of AASHTO and APTA, the Survey presents an array of useful information on funding by state. The data, however, are not presented in a way that is easy to make comparisons between states for purposes of benchmarking or conducting peer analyses. The bulk of the Survey is organized by state with two pages per state showing the sources and eligible uses for each state’s transit funding. The Survey report also provides an overview of state and local ballot initiatives related to transit and contains a set of summary tables displaying information on public transportation funding by state

This TOD policy addresses multiple goals: improving the costeffectiveness of regional investments in new transit expansions, easing the Bay Area’s chronic housing shortage, creating vibrant new communities, and helping preserve regional open space. The policy ensures that transportation agencies, local jurisdictions, members of the public and the private sector work together to create development patterns that are more supportive of transit.