Bridges to Economic Opportunity: Using Transportation to Connect People to Work

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity will be hosting an audio conference on Thursday, August 7, 2014 from 3-4 pm EST titled Bridges to Economic Opportunity: Using Transportation to Connect People to Work.

The audio conference will discuss the importance of affordable and accessible transportation in connecting people to jobs, housing, and other basic necessities. The conference will also discuss recent legislation proposed by the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the transit challenges of urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Speakers include:

• Shiela Williams; Memphis Bus Riders Union 
• Shefali Ranganathan; Transportation Choices Coalition 
• Anita Hairston; Transportation Equity Caucus 

The speakers will present on several examples of nationwide and local action on the issue of transportation, including barriers to expanding transportation options for disadvantaged workers, an innovative program to reduce transportation fares, and how organizations are advocating for more equitable outcomes in affordable public transportation.

To register for the audio conference, click here.

Location Affordability Portal Launched

The U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have launched the Location Affordability Portal (LAP) – a cost calculation tool that allows individuals to estimate housing and transportation costs in neighborhoods across the nation.

According to the LAP, nearly half of the average U.S. household’s budget is used to cover housing and transportation costs. Though housing costs, such as rent or a mortgage, are often easy to estimate, transportation costs are often less clear as they are likely to vary with changes in gas prices, public transportation rates, access to transit, street connectivity and other factors.

In order to help families make informed decisions about where to live and work, DOT and HUD have launched the LAP as part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to provide information about how housing and transportation costs differ across potential residential locations. The LAP uses two tools to provide users with access to cost estimates – the Location Affordability Index (LAI) and the My Transportation Cost Calculator (MTCC). The LAI is a database of predicted annual housing and transportation costs for a particular area, while the MTCC allows users to customize data based on their household’s unique characteristics, such as income, travel patterns and the number of cars owned by a household.

Interested in learning more? Check out the Location Affordability Portal to begin calculating the cost of housing and transportation in your neighborhood!

Webinar: Transportation Departments & Safe Routes to School

In June, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership will host a webinar on how communities can work with their local transportation departments to help ensure children are safe when traveling to and from school. Entitled "Maximizing City Involvement in Safe Routes to School: Educating Municipal Transportation Departments", the event will allow participants to learn from staff of local transportation departments that have prioritized bicycling and walking, including through the development of partnerships with Safe Routes to School staff. Working to develop or maintain safe routes to school can help protect children while removing a barrier to school attendance and promoting healthier, more active lifestyles.

Webinar presenters are scheduled to include:

• Gabe Graff, Safe Routes to School Organizer, City of Portland;
• Nancy Nichols, Safe Routes to School Coordinator, City of Fort Collins;
• Dave Cowan, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, June 20, from 2:00 - 3:00pm ET.

To register for this webinar, please go here. And for more information about the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, visit here.

Dept. of Transportation Announces Funding for 47 TIGER Projects

As part of the fourth round of TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants, The U.S. Department of Transportation has allocated almost $500 million for 47 TIGER projects across the U.S. Typically projects that are difficult to fund through other federal programs, these grants will fund a wide range of innovative transportation projects in urban and rural areas across the country. Specifically:

• $120 million will go to projects in rural areas 
• 35 percent of funding will go to road and bridge projects, including $30 million for replacement of rural roads and addressing safety concerns on bridges 
• 16 percent will support transit projects 
• 13 percent will fund high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects 
• 12 percent will go to freight rail projects 
• 12 percent will go to multimodal, bicycle and pedestrian projects 
• 12 percent will help build port projects 
• Three grants went to tribal governments to create jobs and address critical transportation needs in Indian country 

Many projects will also improve accessibility for people with disabilities to health care, education and employment opportunities.

For additional information, please click here.

2012 TIGER Grants Available

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the availability of $500 for the fourth round of TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grants. There has been overwhelming demand for TIGER grants in the previous three rounds of the program, with a total of $2.6 million funding 172 transportation infrastructure projects in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

As in previous years, the TIGER program is designed to fund transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant impact nationally and/or regionally. Projects may include surface infrastructure, such as highway or bridge projects, as well as marine port projects. DOT has made railway infrastructure a priority and is therefore allocating $100 million of the 2012 TIGER funding available for high speed and intercity passenger railway projects. In addition, $120 million is available for rural infrastructure projects.

Grant applications will be evaluated on the overall impact that a project will have on 1) improving and/or creating environmentally sustainable transportation infrastructure, 2) sparking job creation and, 3) increasing access to transportation options, including public transit, for people across the nation.

Eligible applicants include state, local and tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and metropolitan planning organizations. Pre-applications are due February 20th and final applications are due March 19th. Awards are expected to vary between $10 million and $200 million. To view the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), please click here.

Department of Transportation Announces TIGER III Grantees Ahead of Schedule

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $511 million to 46 transportation projects across the nation as part of the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant program. According to DOT, a total of 848 project applications were received from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. With an overwhelming demand for TIGER funding, President Obama directed DOT to expedite the grant review process in November in an effort to stimulate the job creation and announce winners before the end of 2011 – much earlier than the anticipated spring 2012 announcement.

Today’s awards are the third in a series of TIGER grants, which were first implemented in 2009. TIGER grants are awarded to transportation projects that have national and regional impacts by improving existing transportation infrastructure, stimulating economic growth and promoting safe and environmentally sustainable transportations systems. Potential projects include: highway or bridge construction, public transportation initiatives, passenger and freight projects and port infrastructure investments.

According to DOT, today’s grant awards will fund various transportation initiatives in 33 states across the country. Specifically:

• Roughly $150 million will support projects in rural areas
• Roughly 48% of the total funding will support road and bridge projects
• Three grants were awarded to tribal governments to create jobs and address the critical transportation needs near Indian reservations

For a list of the TIGER III grantees, please click here.

Brookings Releases "Transit Access" Tool

The Brookings Institution has released Transit Access - an interactive tool that presents metropolitan and neighborhood-level information on the accessibility of public transit in the nation’s largest metro areas. Transit Access is associated with the “Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households” report, which highlights the critical nature of public transit as it connects people with jobs and community resources. The report suggest that transit is not aligned with the needs of zero-vehicle households, particularly in the suburbs, leaving many jobs out of reach for residents. For example, zero-vehicle households in the 100 largest cities can reach 47 percent of metropolitan jobs within 90 minutes compared to a 25.8 percent average in the suburbs. In both cases – metropolitan and suburban – there is a significant gap in transit coverage and job accessibility. Other statistics highlighted in the report include:

• 61.7 percent of zero-vehicle households are in cities
• 99% of zero-vehicle households in cities are near transit compared to only 58% in the suburbs
• 59.8 percent of zero-vehicle households have incomes below 80 percent of the median income in their metro area.
• For the average metropolitan commuter, roughly 25% of jobs in low and middle-skill industries are accessible via transit within 90 minutes compared with 33% of jobs in high-skill industries

This report emphasizes the need for communities, policymakers and land-use planners to consider developing mass transit in areas with little access to jobs or other resources, which are key aspects of the Federal TIGER grants and Sustainable Communities programs. Specifically, this report suggests that transit development should focus on suburban areas, where there is increasing poverty and little access to transit options.

Department of Transportation Announces 2011 TIGER Grants

The Department of Transportation has announced the availability of $526 million for the 2011 TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grant competition, an initiative aiming to improve national, regional and local transportation infrastructure. Now in its third year, the TIGER Grant program funds various infrastructure construction and improvement projects, including: highway or bridge construction, public transportation initiatives, passenger and freight projects and port infrastructure investments. Improved systems of transportation have the potential to dramatically improve and sustain local communities by sparking economic growth and improving the mobility of residents. As a result, DOT has incorporated principles of community development into the TIGER grant selection criteria.

Competitive grant proposals will demonstrate the potential for long-term transportation benefits, including: increased integration and efficiency of various transportation systems, increased access to transportation services in communities, improved safety initiatives and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. Promoting community development as a long-term benefit of TIGER grants, DOT will utilize the Partnership for Sustainable Communities six Livability Principles in assessing the how proposed projects will provide access to affordable and convenient transportation choices in local communities. Similarly, DOT will assess a proposal’s ability to promote economic growth through job creation, which may be sparked both by infrastructure construction and expanded business opportunities that result from improved access to communities. Detailed information about the selection criteria can be found in the NOFA.

In urban regions, grants will be awarded in amounts no less than $10 million with applicants required to provide a 20% match. In rural communities, grants will be awarded in amounts no less $1million and do not have a match requirement. Eligible applicants include: state, local and tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations and multi-jurisdictional government subdivisions.

Pre-applications are due on October 3^rd and final applications are due October 31^st. Please see the Department of Transportation’s TIGER grants page for more information.

Maximizing Job Creation through Infrastructure Investments

As infrastructure development can be a significant job creation opportunity for local communities, finding out where best to allocate resources is critical to maximizing investments. A recent report by Smart Growth America examines states' use of ARRA transportation and infrastructure and recommends that investing in repair of existing infrastructure and expansion of public transportation leads to the most job creation. As more federal funding opportunities becomes available, local communities have the opportunity to continue advocating for investments in projects that will maximize job creation.

For more information, visit Smart Growth America's website.

Sustainable Communities: Infrastructure and the Road to Equity

The Administration has increasingly given considerable attention to the need for a strong infrastructure to support sustainable communities in cities across the country. Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have made important announcements of grant awards supporting the integration of housing, transportation, and environmental sustainability in line with their goals as partners with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Additionally, on Labor Day, the President announced a major plan to invest in expanding infrastructure in the U.S. The plan includes a $50 billion up-front investment that is connected to a six-year reauthorization of the national surface transportation program and the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank to leverage private capital for projects of regional and national significance. The plan would rebuild 150,000 miles of roads, construct and maintain 4,000 miles of passenger rail, and rehabilitate or reconstruct 150 miles of runways while upgrading the country’s outdated air traffic control system. This announcement was followed with an analysis on October 11, 2010 from the Department of Treasury on the benefits of investing in transportation infrastructure, which include job creation and long-term economic benefits, responding to the demand for needed investment from the public, and addressing the need for improving and renewing existing infrastructure.


Many communities know well the critical need for investments in transportation infrastructure. In fact the demand for both rounds of DOT’s TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants has far exceeded the resources awarded. Infrastructure investment is critical in meeting multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives. New commitments and dollars from the Administration present an opportunity for communities to continue to push their local equity agenda in ensuring that all individuals and families have access viable transportation options that connect them to quality, affordable housing and other services needed for their health and well-being.

According to Transportation for America

 The poorest fifth of Americans spend 42% of their annual household budget on automobile ownership which is twice the national average

 The cost burden of commuting for the working poor is 6.1 percent compared to with 3.8 percent of other works. The working poor who drive t work spend the most: 8.4%

 Communities of color are far more reliant on public transportation to get to work and school with nearly 25% of African Americans not having access to a vehicle compared with 7% of Whites. 28 percent of public transportation users have incomes of 15k or less and 55 percent have incomes between 15k and 50k

To address these issues, infrastructure investments should:

 create affordable transportation options for all people;

 ensure fair and equitable access to the benefits of transportation, including access to quality jobs, affordable housing, and needed services;

 promote healthy, safe, and inclusive communities; and

 support environmentally safe and sustainable transportation systems

Transit is an essential neighborhood component that links people to opportunities, reduces economic isolation and plays a key role in making household budgets more manageable for low-income people and working families by reducing overall transportation costs. As Angela Glover Blackwell of PolicyLink has stated, transportation infrastructure is a lifeline of opportunity.

While the Administration has moved to ensure greater interagency collaboration, align goals between departments, and increase resources, more is still needed. A sustained attention to investing in infrastructure must be maintained. Resources should support expanding and improving mobility and access for underserved communities and ensure that any mechanisms used to finance our nation’s transportation system do not displace or disproportionately burden low-income people. Mechanisms should be in place to improve accountability and public engagement in decision making and communities should have some flexibility in addressing local needs as well. For example, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and people in rural areas will have specific needs.

To capitalize on future federal resources to support infrastructure, communities may find it helpful to examine successful applications for the DOT TIGER II Planning Grants/HUD Community Challenge Grants. These grants were specifically to be aligned with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities’ six Livability Principles:

1. Provide More Transportation Choices.

2. Promote equitable, affordable housing.

3. Enhance Economic Competitiveness.

4. Support Existing Communities.

5. Coordinate Policies and Leverage Investment.

6. Value Communities and Neighborhoods.

As the Partnership and its recent grant awards are consistent with the Obama Administration’s priority to remove barriers between Federal programs and model integration, successful applications were to have strong partnerships at the state and local level. As we have seen with many of the recent federal grants, leveraging public and private resources was also an important criterion. The Partnership was also looking for applications with the capacity to implement, focusing on the ability to share lessons learned and also use those lessons to coordinate policies and advance the policy agenda on these issues. In addition, the grant stressed the importance of providing data to support proposed plans and developing data-supported outcomes or results. Communities were to develop performance measures that were aligned with those results to ensure accountability.

For more information on supporting a sustainable and equitable infrastructure agenda, please see the following resources:

All Aboard! Making Equity and Inclusion Central to Federal Transportation Policy, PolicyLink

Mixed Income Housing Near Transit: Increasing Affordability with Location Efficiency, The Center for Transit Oriented Development

Preserving Affordable Housing Near Transit, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.

The Transportation Prescription, PolicyLink

New Grant Awards Integrate Transportation and Affordable Housing

On October 20, 2010, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that more than 70 innovative transportation projects would be funded under the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) II grants. This $600 million program was to fund innovative surface transportation projects that could improve communities’ quality of life while advancing broader transportation goals. According to Department Secretary Ray Lahood, the funded projects will help to strengthen the economy, create jobs, and provide safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices. Roughly 29% of TIGER II money goes to road projects, 26% for transit, 20% for rail projects, 16% for ports, four percent for bicycle and pedestrian projects, and five percent for planning projects. More than 140 million is being used for projects in rural areas.

Up to 35 million of the TIGER II grants were to go towards planning grants that would prepare or design surface transportation projects that would be eligible for funding under the TIGER II Discretionary Grant program. Importantly, these grants were awarded in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Challenge Planning Grants that are to support local planning activities that integrate transportation, housing, and economic development. In evaluating and awarding these grants together, DOT and HUD took an important step in recognition of the integrated relationship between transportation and access to affordable, quality. The agencies hoped a joint NOFA would better align transportation, housing, economic development, and land use planning and improve linkages between DOT and HUD’s programs. Almost 700 applicants sought up to $35 million in TIGER II planning grants and up to $40 million in HUD Community Challenge Grants. The two departments evaluated planning grant applications with assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, awarding $68 million in grants to communities across the country.

The Community Challenge grants compliment the 45 Sustainable Communities Regional Grants also recently announced by HUD and build upon the Administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an interagency collaboration launched by President Obama in June 2009 between the DOT, HUD, and EPA. The Partnership is designed to remove the traditional federal government silos that exist between departments and target the agencies’ transportation, land use, environmental, housing and community development resources strategically to provide communities the resources they need to build more livable, sustainable communities. The three agencies have made a commitment to coordinate activities, integrate funding requirements, and adopt a common set of performance metrics for use by grantees.

In the Partnership, each agency has defined roles:
 HUD will take the lead in funding, evaluating, and supporting integrated regional planning for sustainable development, and will invest in sustainable housing and community development efforts.
 DOT will focus on building the capacity of transportation agencies to integrate their planning and investments into broader plans and actions that promote sustainable development, and investing in transportation infrastructure that directly supports sustainable development and livable communities.
 EPA will provide technical assistance to communities and States to help them implement sustainable community strategies, and develop environmental sustainability metrics and practices.

The partnership is guided by six Livability Principles. Communities that are interested in taking advantage of new federal funding opportunities to integrate transportation, housing, and environmental sustainability should consider how their plans align with these principles.

New Tool: Coordinating Mixed-Income Housing and Transit

HUD and the FTA, in conjunction with the Center for Transit Oriented Development, have unveiled a web-based Action Guide for developing mixed-income development near transit centers.

This site is part of federal efforts to better coordinate transportation and housing programs in order to promote affordable housing near transit. While not explicitly tied to the Sustainable Communities Initiative, it may provide some helpful ways to think about integrating housing, economic development, and transportation decision-making.

The guide is a multi-step process that leads users through a framework for identifying current issues, key opportunities, and appropriate strategies that might be addressed in planning processes or specific station area plans. The focus is on “mixed-income TOD” - shorthand to describe a mix of housing choices, affordable to a range of incomes, for people at different stages of life within a specific transit station area. According to The Center for Transit Oriented Development,“the goal of this guide is to help practitioners identify the most appropriate and effective planning tools for achieving MITOD in their transit station area, and ultimately to facilitate the development of mixed-income communities.”