WASHINGTON — Fourteen major transit projects in 11 states would receive almost $4 billion under President Joe Biden’s fiscal 2025 budget request to Congress, according to recommendations from Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Primary funding would come under the Capital Investment Grants and Expedited Project Delivery Pilot programs.
“FTA looks forward to working with these communities to advance transit projects that will provide new transit options,” Federal Transit Administration Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said in a press release. “These investments support President Biden’s commitment to combat climate change while also improving safety, advancing equity, and improving quality of life for millions of Americans.”
The budget includes three projects that have had funding recommended in prior budgets but have yet to compete a construction grant agreement, seven recommended to receive funding for the first time, and four with existing construction grant agreements. Of those 14 projects, nine are rail related.
That includes two of three projects in the first group, $350 million for Chicago’s Red Line Extension [see “Chicago’s Red Line Extension receives $1.9 billion federal commitment …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 11, 2023], and $700 million for the Hudson Tunnel Project on the Northeast Corridor [see “Hudson Tunnel project lands more federal funding …,” News Wire, Nov. 4, 2023].
First-time federal funding is recommended for:
— The Inglewood (Calif.) Transit Connector Project, an elevated rail line connecting the LA Metro line rail network to several event venues, which would receive $200 million [see “Inglewood, Calif., to receive more than $1 billion …,” News Wire, Jan. 8, 2024]
— The Transbay Joint Powers Authority’s Transbay Downtown Extension, which would extend Caltrain commuter rail service from the area near the current Caltrain terminal to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. The project would receive $500 million for what was estimated last year to be a $6.7 billion project [see “Extending Caltrain, high speed route …,” News Wire, Jan. 23, 2023].
— The Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation, which would receive $263.7 million for the Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project, to provide commuter rail service between downtown Miami and Aventura. Miami officials said last fall that priority for that project was increasing [see “Miami-Aventura commuter rail service to rise in priority, and price,” News Wire, Sept. 27, 2023].
The four projects with existing construction grants to receive funding are LA Metro’s Westside Purple Line subway extension; $315.7 million; Minneapolis’ Southwest Light Rail Green Line extension, $129.5 million; $496.8 million for New York’s Second Avenue Subway Phase 2; and $88.5 million for the Seattle area’s Lynnwood Link Light Rail Extension.
Bus rapid transit projects in San Antonio, Texas; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Indianapolis; and Madison, Wis., also would receive funding.
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