FTA capital investment programs get boost under president’s proposed budget
Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editorThe Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grant Program is getting a funding boost under President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2015 budget. The proposed budget for 2015 includes $2.5 billion for FTA's grant programs and represents an increase of $400 million over the requested 2014 budget.
A breakdown of the requested funds shows $1.4 billion for existing New Starts Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs) and $578.2 million for proposed New FFGAs, $275 million for Core Capacity projects, $199 million for proposed Small Starts Grant Agreements and $37 million for management and oversight.
Funds requested for projects with existing New Starts FFGAs include:
- $100 million – Los Angeles, Regional Connector Transit Corridor
- $150 million – San Francisco – Third Street Light Rail-Central Subway Project
- $150 million – San Jose – Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension
- $150 million – Denver – RTD Eagle P3
- $250 million – Honolulu – High Capacity Transit Corridor
- $109.1 million – St. Paul-Min., Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project
- $100 million – Charlotte, Blue Line Extension-Northeast Corridor
- $47.2 million – New York – East Side Access
- $100 million – Portland – Milwaukie LRT
- $89.6 million – Seattle-University Link LRT Extension
Recommended New Starts Projects include:
- $100 million – Los Angeles, Westside Subway Extension – Section 1
- $63.2 million – Orlando, SunRail Phase II South
- $100 million – Cambridge to Medford, Green Line Extension
- $100 million – Baltimore, Red Line
- $100 million – Maryland National Capital Purple Line
- $65 million – Portland, Columbia River Crossing Project
- $50 million – Fort Worth, TEX Rail
The proposed budget also includes $275 million for Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Purple Line Modernization Project in the funding for Core Capacity Projects. Additionally, $49 million was recommended for Fort Lauderdale’s Wave Streetcar Project.